This essay is about the notability of chemicals. For the Wikiproject on chemicals, see Wikipedia:WikiProject Chemicals.
This guideline is meant to reflect consensus about the notability of chemicals. The purpose of Wikipedia is to document human knowledge.
Basic notability
Any defined chemical element or compound that has been assigned a CAS number is considered to have received non-trivial coverage in a reliable source, the journal in which the material was described, and by the assignment of the CAS number.
Notability of specific topics
Hypothetical chemical elements
There is a longstanding debate on the notability of undiscovered chemical elements, i.e. those with an atomic number greater than 118. Currently, such elements are considered notable enough to have their own articles if several reliable sources describe predictions of nontrivial properties or a detailed history of predictions and failed discoveries. Mentions in a table or brief explanations in prose that do not focus on the element are not considered sufficient (per Wikipedia's general notability guideline). An explanation of a single prediction in one source is also not enough for a standalone article; such research is better summarized in a relevant section of an article on a broader topic (such as extended periodic table). Detailed descriptions of a specific element's history, which may include unsuccessful searches if they are specific to one element, are sufficient to establish notability. Predictions on physical, chemical, and nuclear properties are also acceptable if they give in-depth coverage on individual elements. Long articles with lists (tabular or in prose) of predictions, or even short sections on many elements, however, do not automatically render every single one of those elements notable. Likewise, one new publication will likely not lead to a change in notability, unless it is more detailed than all other available sources and/or it leads to further developments or interest among other researchers.
As of February 2019, elements 119–122, 124, and 126 are considered to be notable enough for standalone articles. Disputes on notability have led to repeated recreation and re-redirection of these articles; there is an established consensus against the creation of standalone articles for the other elements that currently are redirects. If new research is published that may establish notability for a specific element, it is advisable to create a draft first and consult editors at the relevant WikiProjects.