David Milstein

In 1979 at the conclusion of his postdoc, Milstein joined DuPont Central Research & Development in Wilmington, Delaware, where he became a group leader in the area of homogeneous catalysis.

In early independent research, he examined the activation of C-C, C-H, C-F, N-H, and O-H bonds.

[5] In other research at the early stages in his independent career, he examined the then rare oxidative addition of N-H and O-H.[6] Milstein achieved acclaim for the discovery of pincer complexes that catalyze dehydrogenation reactions concomitant with condensations.

[8] Related processes allow the synthesis of esters from alcohols:[9] In a quite different direction, Milstein and his co-workers described a solution-phase reaction scheme for water splitting.

In this system, he devised ruthenium catalysts to promote the evolution of hydrogen and oxygen in consecutive thermal- and light-driven steps.