Martyn Poliakoff — LLMpedia

Martyn Poliakoff
Periodic Table of Videos · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Martyn Poliakoff
Birth date	1947-02-22
Birth place	London, England
Nationality	British
Fields	Chemistry, Photochemistry, Supercritical fluids, Green chemistry
Workplaces	University of Nottingham, Royal Society
Alma mater	University of Cambridge, University of Nottingham
Doctoral advisor	George Porter
Known for	Supercritical fluids research, outreach through Periodic Videos
Awards	Royal Society of Chemistry Longstaff Prize, Royal Medal

Contents

Martyn Poliakoff is a British chemist noted for research in physical chemistry, supercritical fluids, and green chemistry, and for public engagement via documentary and online video projects. He is a former professor at the University of Nottingham and a Fellow of the Royal Society, with collaborations spanning institutions such as the Max Planck Society, California Institute of Technology, and the Royal Institution.

Early life and education

Poliakoff was born in London into a family with roots in Belarus and Lithuania. He studied chemistry at the University of Cambridge and completed doctoral research under the supervision of George Porter, a Nobel laureate associated with the Royal Society and the University of Sheffield. His postgraduate work involved connections with laboratories at Imperial College London, the University of Oxford, and later exchanges with researchers at the Max Planck Institute für Kohlenforschung and the University of California, Berkeley.

Poliakoff joined the University of Nottingham faculty, where he built a research group and eventually served as Chair of the School of Chemistry and as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham. He held visiting positions and fellowships with the Royal Society, the Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. His academic network includes collaborations with scientists at the University of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of Tokyo.

Poliakoff pioneered studies in supercritical fluids and high-pressure photochemistry, contributing to knowledge applied in industry and academic programs at institutions such as the Max Planck Society, the Fraunhofer Society, and the European Research Council-funded consortia. His work intersects with green chemistry initiatives promoted by the Royal Society of Chemistry and the United Nations Environment Programme and influenced technologies developed by companies collaborating with the Chemical Industries Association and the European Chemical Industry Council. He published extensively in journals like Nature, Science, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, and Angewandte Chemie. Key topics include supercritical carbon dioxide extraction related to projects at Shell and BP, photophysical measurements relevant to Nobel Prize-winning techniques, and process intensification relevant to Siemens and ABB engineering efforts.

Poliakoff is widely recognized for co-creating the Periodic Videos project at the University of Nottingham with colleagues and producers linked to broadcast entities such as the BBC and the Royal Institution. He has appeared in documentaries and collaborated with presenters from the Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures, the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, and the Science Museum events. His outreach has involved partnerships with the Wellcome Trust, the Leverhulme Trust, and science communication groups at Imperial College London and the University of Oxford. He served on advisory panels for the Royal Society and contributed to public discussions with figures from the House of Commons science committee, the European Parliament committees on research, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Poliakoff's distinctions include Fellowship of the Royal Society, presidency roles in the Royal Society of Chemistry divisions, and medals from bodies such as the British Science Association and the Receiving societies of the Royal Society. He has been recognized with national honors linked to the Order of the British Empire and received prizes administered by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Institution, and international organizations such as the American Chemical Society. His awards reflect collaborations and endorsements from institutions including the University of Cambridge, the University of Nottingham, the Max Planck Society, and funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Poliakoff is married into a family with connections to the Kadinov and Mandelstam lineages and maintains links to the Jewish Historical Society and cultural organizations in London and Nottingham. His relatives include academics and professionals associated with the University of Cambridge, University College London, and the University of Edinburgh. He has supported civic initiatives involving the Nottingham Contemporary gallery and the Trent Bridge community projects.

Category:British chemists Category:Fellows of the Royal Society Category:Academics of the University of Nottingham