Sir Martyn Poliakoff (born 16 December 1947)[3] is a British chemist known for his work on green chemistry and for being the main presenter on the popular YouTube channel Periodic Videos.

[2] As well as carrying out research at the University of Nottingham, he is a lecturer, teaching a number of modules including green chemistry.

His paternal grandfather, Joseph Poliakoff, was a prolific inventor of electrical devices who experienced the communist revolution in Russia first-hand, and emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1924.

[18] Poliakoff is a global leader in the field of green chemistry with a specific interest in the applications of supercritical fluids.

[citation needed] He hit the news for calculating that the FIFA World Cup Trophy could not have been made from solid gold as it would be too heavy to raise aloft.

[21][22][23] Poliakoff showed some videos at IUPAC's elements inauguration in the Central Club of Scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.

[28] Poliakoff was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours[29] and is a member of the Advisory Council for the Campaign for Science and Engineering since 2008.

[39] In 2019, he was awarded the Royal Society of London Michael Faraday Prize[40] for science communication for his work on the Periodic Videos.

He was also awarded the 2019 Longstaff Prize for his "outstanding contributions to green chemistry and for participating centrally in the creation of the Periodic Table Videos".