Nicholas A. Kotov

Nicholas A. Kotov (born August 29, 1965, in Moscow, USSR) is the Irving Langmuir Distinguished University Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering and the Joseph B. and Florence V. Cejka Professor of Engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. He is the Director of the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Complex Particle Systems (COMPASS), developing graph-based methods for design of materials essential for sustainability..

Kotov is known for pioneering studies on nanoparticle self-organization, biomimetic materials, and chiral nanostructures. Kotov demonstrated that structurally imperfect inorganic nanoparticles can self-assemble into complex hierarchical structures resembling biological assemblies and materials. He established self-organization as an intrinsic characteristic of nanoscale systems, which contributed to the development of biomimetic composites combining mechanical, optical, and functional properties that are rarely achieved simultaneously in conventional materials. These composite biomimetic materials are exemplified by nacre-like composites from clay and graphene oxide, and cartilage-like membranes from cellulose nanofibrils and aramid nanofibers. Kotov is also known for pioneering chiral nanostructures exhibiting exceptionally strong optical activity.

Materials he developed have enabled sustainable energy devices, green catalysis, and aramid recycling. The chiral plasmonic nanoparticles are being tested for early detection of cancer.