Dr. Nicholas A. Kotov is a Florence V. Cejka Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on nanoscale fibers and particles to design and build materials that solve specific problems in biology, medicine, environmental science, chemistry and more. Learn more about his perspective into the value of carbon!
Q: What does your research or portfolio currently focus on?
A: My research focuses on biomimetic design of inorganic nanocatalysts including omnidispersable hedgehog particles.
Q: What challenges or opportunities is your work trying to address scaling and commercializing carbon management technology and approaches?
A: We are working towards the reduction of CO2 into value added products, including chiral organic compounds.
Q: What real world application or sector(s) do you see your research having the most impact on?
A: I am confident that the efficient reduction of CO2 into carbonaceous compounds will have a great impact across many sectors. It’s difficult to say which sectors wouldn’t have any impact as this is such a critical technology.
Q: What is the biggest hurdle to increasing R&D on carbon management efforts?
A: The biggest hurdle to increasing R&D on carbon management effort would be the low levels of funding coupled with lack of policy issues surrounding the technology.
Q: What’s currently missing in early stage R&D to expand CCUS or carbon management?
A: The scale of R&D is much smaller than the scale of the problem and consequences, which limits the expansion of CCUS and carbon management.
Q: What advice do you have for technologists or entrepreneurs starting off in this field?
A: My advice for technologies or entrepreneurs just beginning in this field would be to go forward regardless. The work here is much needed, and we need as many great minds as we can get.