Aidan McDonald

Professor Aidan McDonald is a faculty member at Trinity College Dublin, serving as Professor in Inorganic Chemistry within the School of Chemistry since 2024. His research focuses on bioinspired inorganic chemistry, particularly high-valent oxidants and natural photosynthesis mechanisms. He holds a B.A. (Hons) in Chemistry from Trinity College Dublin (2002) and a Ph.D. in Organometallic Chemistry from Utrecht University (2008).

His research group investigates synthetic catalysts for hydrocarbon oxidation and solar water-splitting technologies. Key areas include high-valent metal-halide C–H activation and mimicking the P680+ oxidant in photosystem II. Funding sources include Science Foundation Ireland, the Irish Research Council, and BIORBIC.

Notable awards include the Irish Research Council Laureate Award (2022), EuroBIC Medal (2020), and Royal Society/SFI University Research Fellowship (2016). He advises several PhD students and collaborates internationally. His group operates within Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, leveraging advanced facilities for materials and catalysis research.