Konstantin Novoselov

Sir Konstantin Sergeevich Novoselov (Константи́н Серге́евич Новосёлов; born 23 August 1974) is a Russian–British physicist.

Konstantin Novoselov was born in Nizhny Tagil, Soviet Union, in 1974.

He graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology with a MSc degree in 1997, and was awarded a PhD from the Radboud University of Nijmegen in 2004 for work supervised by Andre Geim.

Konstantin Novoselov uses the nickname "Kostya" (diminutive of the name Konstantin).

Novoselov has published 475 peer-reviewed research papers on several topics including mesoscopic superconductivity (Hall magnetometry) as of January 2024 subatomic movements of magnetic domain walls, the discovery of gecko tape and graphene.

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Kostya Novoselov participated in the Graphene Flagship project – a €1 billion initiative of the European Commission – and was featured in the official promotion movie of the project.

Novoselov was the first Director of the National Graphene Institute and sits on the International Scientific Advisory Committee of Australia's ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies.

Novoselov was also a recipient of a starting grant from the European Research Council.

Kostya Novoselov made it into a shortlist of scientists with multiple hot papers for the years 2007–2008 (shared second place with 13 hot papers) and 2009 (5th place with 12 hot papers).

His work on graphene with Andre Geim earned them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010.

Novoselov is a professor at the Centre for Advanced 2D Materials, National University of Singapore and is also the Langworthy Professor of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester.

His certificate of election to the Royal Society in 2011 reads

Novoselov led the academic team which overviewed the design, construction and launching of the National Graphene Institute.

He contributed with a number of unique architectural and technical solutions.

The veil of the National Graphene Institute depicts formulae from his and Prof. A. Geim early works on graphene.

Also, Novoselov confirms that among the formulae several scientific jokes are hidden, though he has never revealed them.

He co-authored a book on the architecture of the National Graphene Institute.

He was also named among the 17 hottest researchers worldwide—"individuals who have published the greatest number of hot papers during 2012–2013".

In 2014 Kostya Novoselov was included in the list of the most highly cited researchers.

Thus, in February 2015 he combined forces with Cornelia Parker to create a display for the opening of the Whitworth Art Gallery.

Cornelia Parker's meteorite shower firework (pieces of meteorites loaded in firework) was launched by Novoselov breathing on graphene gas sensor (which changed the resistance of graphene due to doping by water vapour).

Graphene was obtained through exfoliation of graphite which was extracted from a drawing of William Blake.

Novoselov suggested that he also exfoliated graphite obtained from the drawings of other prominent artists: John Constable, Pablo Picasso, J. M. W. Turner, Thomas Girtin.

He said that only microscopic amounts (flake size less than 100 micrometres) was extracted from each of the drawings.

In 2015 he participated in "in conversation" session with Douglas Gordon during Interdependence session at Manchester International Festival.

He also participates in discussions on the relation between art and science.

Novoselov believes that artists and scientists both rely on curiosity, willingness to learn and imagination:

Novoselov is fond of Chinese calligraphy and drawing.

He learned it from a prominent Chinese artist Zheng Shenglong.

Nine ink paintings by Prof. Novoselov were shown at the exhibition "Britain Through the Eyes of a Chinese Diplomat" at the University of Leeds.

One of his paintings is now in the collection of President of China Xi Jinping.

Novoselov participated in Viennacontemporary in 2017, where 5 of his works have been presented by RDI.Creative gallery.

In 2018, in a project of exploration of the archives of the Jodrell Bank Observatory, Prof. Novoselov helped Prof. Tim O'Brian to transcribe radio transmission (most possibly simulated instrument reading) from the Soviet Zond 6 received by radio telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory in November 1968.

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Novoselov is known for his interest in art.

He practices in Chinese traditional drawing and has been involved in several projects on modern art.

Novoselov joined the National University of Singapore's Centre for Advanced 2D Materials in 2019, making him the first Nobel laureate to join a Singaporean university.

In 2021, he pioneered with Antonio H. Castro Neto a new research centre at the National University of Singapore called IFIM.

With $200 million in funding over 10 years provided by the Ministry of Education and NUS, the centre will work on making ground-breaking discoveries into what are called functional intelligent materials.