Konstantin Novoselov

Konstantin Novoselov is a Russian-British physicist renowned for his pioneering work on the two-dimensional material graphene. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 jointly with his mentor and collaborator Andre Geim for their groundbreaking experiments in isolating and characterizing graphene. A professor at the University of Manchester and the National University of Singapore, Novoselov's research continues to explore novel two-dimensional materials and their applications in technology.

Early life and education

Konstantin Novoselov was born in Nizhny Tagil, a city in the Ural Mountains within the former Soviet Union. He demonstrated an early aptitude for science and subsequently enrolled at the prestigious Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, where he completed his undergraduate studies. For his doctoral research, he moved to the Netherlands, working under the supervision of Andre Geim at the Radboud University Nijmegen. This partnership proved foundational, leading to their relocation to the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, where their most famous work would be conducted.

Research and career

Following his PhD, Novoselov continued his research as a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester. He was appointed a Professor of Physics at the same institution, cementing his role within the Condensed Matter Physics Group. His early career research, often in collaboration with Andre Geim, explored diverse areas of mesoscopic physics and superconductivity, including the famous Gecko tape experiment inspired by the gecko's adhesive properties. This innovative and playful approach to science became a hallmark of their laboratory, leading to the development of the so-called "Friday night experiments" culture.

Graphene and Nobel Prize

The pivotal breakthrough came in 2004 when Novoselov and Geim successfully isolated single-atom-thick crystals of graphite, known as graphene, using simple adhesive tape in a process now famously called micromechanical cleavage. They published their seminal findings in the journal *Science*, demonstrating graphene's exceptional electronic properties, including its status as a zero-gap semiconductor with remarkably high electron mobility. This work earned them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010, with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences citing their "groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene." Their discovery ignited a global research boom into graphene and other two-dimensional materials like boron nitride and molybdenum disulfide.

Other research and interests

Beyond graphene, Novoselov's research group investigates a wide array of other two-dimensional materials and their heterostructures, which are artificial stacks of different atomically thin layers. This "materials-by-design" approach aims to create new materials with tailored electronic, optical, and mechanical properties for applications in flexible electronics, photonics, and composite materials. He has also explored the use of two-dimensional materials in art conservation, developing sensitive sensors to monitor the degradation of artworks. His interdisciplinary work involves collaborations with institutions like the National Graphene Institute and the Henry Royce Institute.

Awards and honors

In recognition of his contributions to science, Novoselov has received numerous prestigious awards. Most notably, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Andre Geim in 2010. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2011 and was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to science. His other honors include the EPS Europhysics Prize, the IUPAP Young Scientist Prize, and the Royal Society of London's Kohn Award. He also holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Antwerp.

Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:Nobel laureates in Physics Category:Fellows of the Royal Society Category:Russian physicists Category:British physicists Category:University of Manchester faculty