Ian MacKenzie
Education
- Ph.D., Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (May 2019)
Thesis Advisor: Dr. David Nicewicz
Research Summary: Investigation of the photophysical properties and mechanisms of organic photoredox catalysts with application to new reaction development. - B.S., Chemistry, ACS Professional, Geneva College (May 2014)
Teaching Interests
I love teaching organic chemistry at every level from Organic I through Advanced Topics in Organic Chemistry. Introducing students to the basic principles of organic structure and reactivity and showing them how to use simple tools to craft beautiful and important bioactive compounds is genuinely fun and exciting. Whether we’re exploring the configurations of the many (many) chiral centers of vancomycin or trying to synthesize photocatalysts capable of producing solvated electrons, the world of organic chemistry is wonderful. Helping students see that joy and wonder is my passion.
Research Interests
My research focuses on using light energy to drive the discovery and development of new synthetic methods in organic chemistry. Said another way, we use photochemistry to make new ways of building molecules. To do this, we spend a lot of time screening conditions in microscale reactions, looking for new “hits” (products of our desired reactions). We also make many colorful dyes that we use as photocatalysts to enable our reactions to proceed. The overarching goal of our research is not only to develop more efficient methods of synthesizing important pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds, but also to enable access to completely new bioactive materials (compounds that have never been made before).
MacKenzie, I. “Cation Radical-Mediated Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution (SNAr): A Modern Realization of an Old Discovery” ChemPhotoChem, 2025, doi.org/10.1002/cptc.202500268
Konzal, J.; Murley, M.; Wolter, A.; Camou, L.; Oberbroeckling, A.; Dekker, M.; Wagner, G.; Jennejohn, K.; Franklin, C.; Hayes, N.; Tobin, S.; Collier, E.; MacKenzie, I. “Towards Designer Photocatalysts: Structure-Property Relationships in 2,6-Diaryl-pyryliums” Chem. Euro. J., 2024, doi.org/10.1002/chem.202403543
Boyden, B.; Tobin, S.; Haen, N.; Metz, A.; Wojnowiak, C.; Taylor, T.; Cutty, A.; Litza, A.; Stiles, I.; Soehner, N.; Oberbroeckling, A.; O’Leary, N.; Popp, H.; MacKenzie, I. “Photomediated Hexafluoroisopropoxylation of Unactivated Aryl Halides” Chem. Euro. J., 2024, doi.org/10.1002/chem.202402811
Cruz, C.; Holmberg-Douglas, N.; Onuska, N.; McManus, J.; MacKenzie, I.; Hutson, B.; Eskew, N.; Nicewicz, D. “Development of a Large-Enrollment Course-Based Research Experience in an Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory: Structure–Function Relationships in Pyrylium Photoredox Catalysts.” J. Chem Educ., 2020, 97, 1572-1578.
MacKenzie, I.; Wang, L.; Onuska, N.; Williams, O.; Begam, K.; Moran, A.; Dunietz, B.; Nicewicz, D. "Discovery and characterization of an acridine radical photoreductant." Nature., 2020, 580, 76-80.
Dongare, P.; MacKenzie, I.; Wang, D.; Nicewicz, D.; Meyer, T. J. “Oxidation of alkyl benzenes by a flavin photooxidation catalyst on nanostructured metal-oxide films.” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2017, 114, 9279-9283.
Professional website: https://sites.google.com/view/mackenzielab/home
Contact: ianmackenzie@muhlenberg.edu