Konstantin Novoselov

Sir Konstantin Sergeevich Novoselov is a renowned Russian-British physicist. He is best known for his groundbreaking research regarding graphene. Graphene is a material made of a single layer of carbon atoms. This layer is only one atom thick, making it a two-dimensional material. His work helped scientists understand the unique electronic properties of these thin crystals. This discovery has massive potential for future technologies in electronics and energy.

Novoselov’s most famous achievement involves the isolation of graphene. He worked alongside his colleague, Andre Geim, to perform these experiments. They discovered how to isolate a single, free-standing atomic layer of carbon. This process allowed them to study its remarkable electronic properties. For this work, they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. This made Novoselov the youngest Nobel laureate in physics since 1973.

His scientific career has covered many complex topics in physics. He has published 475 peer-reviewed research papers as of January 2024. These papers cover subjects like mesoscopic superconductivity and Hall magnetometry. He also studied the subatomic movements of magnetic domain walls. Additionally, his research contributed to the discovery of gecko tape. He was a key participant in the Graphene Flagship project. This was a massive €1 billion initiative led by the European Commission.

Novoselov’s academic journey began in the Soviet Union. He was born in Nizhny Tagil in 1974. He graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology in 1997 with an MSc degree. Later, he earned his PhD from Radboud University in Nijmegen in 2004. His PhD work was supervised by Andre Geim. Today, he holds several prestigious positions at major universities. He is a professor at the National University of Singapore. He also serves as the Langworthy Professor at the University of Manchester. Furthermore, he is the President of Constructor University in Bremen, Germany.

His leadership in science has led to the creation of new research centers. He was the first Director of the National Graphene Institute. He helped design, build, and launch this institute. In 2019, he joined the National University of Singapore's Centre for Advanced 2D Materials. He was the first Nobel laureate to join a Singaporean university. In 2021, he helped pioneer the Institute of Functional Intelligent Materials (IFIM). This center has received $200 million in funding over ten years. The goal is to turn discoveries into functional, intelligent materials.

Novoselov has received many high honors throughout his life. In 2012, he was named a Knight Bachelor for his services to science. He has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and a foreign associate of the US National Academy of Sciences. He has also received the Europhysics Prize and the Otto Warburg Prize. His name is even honored through the Novoselov International Materials Award. This award recognizes lifetime achievements in materials science. His name is also featured on the notable alumni pavement at the University of Manchester.

Beyond the laboratory, Novoselov is a dedicated artist. He practices traditional Chinese drawing and calligraphy. He studied these arts under the prominent artist Zheng Shenglong. He often connects the worlds of science and art. For example, he once used a graphene gas sensor to launch a meteorite firework. He also extracted tiny amounts of carbon from famous drawings to create graphene. He believes that both scientists and artists rely on curiosity and imagination.

His creative work has been displayed in many places. Some of his ink paintings are in the collection of Xi Jinping. He has also participated in several modern art projects. In 2015, he worked with artist Cornelia Parker for a gallery opening. He even suggested exfoliating graphite from drawings by Picasso and Turner. These experiments used microscopic flakes less than 100 micrometres in size. Novoselov continues to show that science and art can exist together beautifully.