Nobel laureate Konstantin Novoselov: Materials can be more like living objects

Current research suggests that functional materials and dynamic materials can behave similarly to living objects, said Konstantin Novoselov, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and a discoverer of graphene, in an interview during the first Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange that ended on Nov 7.

Konstantin Novoselov is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and co-creator of graphene. [Photo/Zhao Peng]

Graphene, as a key material, has been widely applied in a variety of areas such as batteries, sensors, thermal management, and functional composites. Current research on the combination of graphene with other materials will be of great importance to technologies related to automobiles, electronics, and other industries, according to Novoselov.

“We are working on functional materials and dynamic materials, where we can program different functionalities into materials and make them behave almost like living objects, reacting to changes in the environment, making decisions by themselves, and evolving life organisms,” Novoselov said.  

The Chongqing 2D Materials Institute, where Novoselov serves as honorary president and leads the team, started operating in Liangjiang New Area in 2019. The institute aims for breakthroughs in key and core technologies and promotes the industrialization of graphene and other two-dimensional materials. With the support of Chongqing and Liangjiang New Area, the institute has been working beyond the application and industrialization of graphene and is actively exploring composite materials and future materials, with some of its projects approaching application.

Composite materials can work as sensors with additional abilities such as preventing fires, signaling, and resisting corrosion. With efforts made on functional composites such as materials for structural engineering and batteries, the institute now has some projects ready for the market. On future materials, machine learning and other research are currently making progress, said Novoselov.

To better develop the new materials industry, Novoselov said it is important to look into the future instead of leveraging only what's been achieved and to combine fundamental research with current technologies and industrial needs.

In the meantime, he reckoned that talent should be valued and supported, as they can achieve scientific and technological breakthroughs. And educational systems should be used to develop talent and encourage them to pursue technological innovation.