How can a new field of chemical research be established?

Abstract: How can a new field of chemical research be established? This is an important question that chemists should give serious consideration to. This paper primarily presents the author’s reflections and summaries of the history of chemistry and his own research experiences during his graduate studies, focusing on the central question of how to expand new fields of chemistry. The answer to this question stems from an analysis of the fundamental processes underlying the formation of existing chemical fields and the limiting factors in their development. The analytical starting point is the three fundamental elements of the chemical research process and their interrelationships. These three elements are chemical processes, chemical research tools, and chemical information. The fundamental process of chemical research involves using appropriate chemical research tools to study chemical processes, extracting specific chemical information from them, and forming chemical concepts based on this information. Chemical concepts are formed through two pathways: one involves the analysis, induction, and abstraction of known chemical information; the other arises from “chemical hypotheses” that are validated through practice. The formation of a chemical concept marks the starting point for the development of a chemical field. The development of a chemical field is a process of continuously accumulating relevant chemical information around that concept. The limiting factors in the development of a chemical field primarily lie at two levels: cognition and tools. The cognitive level encompasses three aspects: the extent of accumulated relevant chemical information, the acquisition of key chemical information, and the recognition of the field’s value; the tools level primarily encompasses the development of chemical research tools and the formation of chemical research paradigms. Based on this analysis, the author argues that the breakthrough direction for expanding new chemical fields lies in the development of new chemical research tools guided by new research objectives. Specifically, this includes two approaches: one guided by new chemical information and the other guided by new chemical research paradigms. Detailed implementation plans for these two approaches have been presented, drawing on classic examples from the literature and the author’s research experience.