Nicholas A. Kotov, University of Michigan professor honored for foundational discoveries in interface-based engineering of self-organizing materials

WARRENDALE, PA – [October 26, 2021] – The Materials Research Society’s (MRS) David Turnbull Lectureship recognizes the career contributions of a scientist to fundamental understanding of the science of materials through experimental and/or theoretical research. In the spirit of the life work of David Turnbull, writing and lecturing also can be factors in the selection process. This year’s award honors Nicholas A. Kotov, Irving Langmuir Distinguished University Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan, for his “foundational discoveries in interface-based engineering of self-organizing materials.”

Kotov will accept the honor during the 2021 MRS Fall Meeting, where, at 9:00 am (EST), Thursday, December 2, he will present his lecture, Nanoscale Biomimetics: From Self-Assembled Nanocomposites to Chiral Nanostructures.

Kotov received his degrees from the Moscow State University with his diploma and PhD studies centered on bioinspired harvesting of solar energy. His postdoctoral studies at Syracuse University encompassed the self-assembly of biomimetic nanocomposites. After taking an assistant professor position at Oklahoma State University, he expanded the field of biomimetic processes and self-organized materials by establishing a research program on self-assembly of nanostructures.

Kotov is currently Irving Langmuir Distinguished University Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan. He heads the laboratory and international team of scientists working on practical implementations and theoretical foundations of biomimetic nanostructures. Self-assembly and optical properties of chiral nanoparticles and their superstructures represent a focal point for the continuum of bioinspired nanoscale materials with multidisciplinary significance to physics, chemistry, biology and medicine. Nicholas is a co-founder of five startup companies and a passionate advocate for scientists with disabilities.