Centennial Lecture Series: Nobel Laureate David MacMillan

Join 2021 Nobel Laureate and Princeton University professor and researcher David MacMillan for a two-part Centennial Lecture Series about his groundbreaking research in organocatalysis. 

Seminar One: 10:30 - 11:45 a.m. - “PATH TO INVENTION AND DISCOVERY IN CATALYSIS” 

• This lecture, intended for a broad scientific audience, will describe the advent and development of asymmetric organocatalysis in Dr. MacMillan’s laboratory. As part of this overview, he will explore concepts of chemical reactivity, catalysis, and the asymmetry of organic molecules. Dr. MacMillan will examine the impact of organocatalysis on modern synthetic chemistry, explore real-world applications of this technology and will discuss how organocatalysis may continue to impact scientific research and society in the future.

Seminar Two: 3:00 - 4:15 p.m. - “THE DEVELOPMENT OF ASYMMETRIC ORGANOCATALYSIS AND METALLAPHOTOREDOX” 

• Dr. MacMillan will build upon his first presentation by highlighting why organic catalysts have become widely explored in modern synthetic chemistry. He will discuss the application of visible light photocatalysis to the discovery or invention of transformations that will be conceptually or synthetically valuable (and sometimes, hopefully, both). Specifically, Dr. MacMillan will highlight recent applications of photoredox catalysis in his group including the development of new metallaphotoredox reactions and high-resolution µMap technology, which provides a powerful means to probe biological pathways at the subcellular level.

*These lectures only are offered in person. There are no streaming or recording options.

For your convenience, please use this campus map. For additional information about the event and to register, please visit the College of Science & Mathematics website. 

About the speaker

David W. C. MacMillan was born in Bellshill, Scotland and received his undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of Glasgow, where he worked with Dr. Ernie Colvin. In 1990, he began his doctoral studies under the direction of Professor Larry Overman at the University of California, Irvine, before undertaking a postdoctoral position with Professor Dave Evans at Harvard University in 1996. He began his independent career at University of California, Berkeley, in July of 1998 before moving to Caltech in 2000 as the Earle C. Anthony Chair of Organic Chemistry. In 2006, Dave moved to Princeton University as the A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Chemistry. He served as Department Chair from 2010–2015 and is currently the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University of Chemistry. Dave shares the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Benjamin List “for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis.” His research interests encompass a wide range of organic chemistry, including the development of new areas in organocatalysis and photoredox catalysis.