Global knowledge structures and evolutionary dynamics of green hydrogen technology research revealed by integrated scientometric analysis

Green hydrogen technology, which produces hydrogen via water electrolysis powered by renewable energy, has emerged as a critical pathway toward carbon neutrality and become a global research hotspot. However, systematic mapping of its research evolution and knowledge structure remains insufficient. This study employs CiteSpace (v6.3.R2) to conduct scientometric analysis of 9545 Web of Science publications (2010–2024), examining publication trends, collaboration networks, co-citation relationships, and keyword evolution. Key findings include: (1) explosive growth from 43 publications (2010) to 3275 (2024), driven by escalating policy commitments; (2) a core-periphery collaboration structure in which China leads in volume but Germany, France, and Saudi Arabia occupy central brokerage positions; (3) moderate modular structure in the co-citation network with nascent cross-cluster convergence since 2020; and (4) a punctuated three-phase keyword transition from fundamental electrolysis research (2010–2016), through mechanistic optimisation (2017–2020), to system integration and deployment (2021–2024). These findings advance scientometric analysis from descriptive mapping to theoretical explanation, identifying challenges in international cooperation and knowledge fragmentation while charting emerging priorities in electrocatalysis, system-level optimisation, and techno-economic integration.