David MacMillan

David MacMillan is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University, where he has served since 2006. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2021) for asymmetric organocatalysis and knighted in 2022. His research spans organic synthesis, photoredox catalysis, metallaphotoredox, and chemical biology. He pioneered the Merck-Princeton photoreactor for standardized photocatalytic reactions.

• Academic Affiliation: Princeton University, California Institute of Technology (2000-2006), University of California, Berkeley (1998-2000)
• Leadership: Chair of Princeton Chemistry Department (2010-2015)

His work focuses on radical sorting (SH2 mechanism) for C(sp³)–C(sp³) bond formation, µMap technology for sub-cellular protein proximity labeling, and merging photoredox with Ni/Cu catalysis to enable novel reactivity paradigms. He emphasizes medicinal and agrochemical applications through structural motif synthesis.

Scientific Awards include 18+ international prizes, with the Nobel Prize, Centenary Prize, Nagoya Medal, and fellowships in the National Academy of Sciences, Royal Society, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His group has published over 100 photoredox works in Science and Nature, including breakthroughs in deoxygenative reactions and bioisostere synthesis.