Phillips was born 3 December 1939 in Kendal, lived in South Shields and attended the Grammar School.[3][1] He studied at the University of Birmingham attaining a BSc and PhD.[1]
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the 1962 James Bond film Dr No, Phillips stated that the character of Dr No, with his personal nuclear reactor, helped to create a "remorselessly grim" reputation for atomic energy.[7] and that the popularity of the movie created an enduringly negative image of nuclear power – as something dangerous that could be wielded by megalomaniacs with aspirations to world domination. Phillips claims that when nuclear power is discussed "it is not at all surprising that the public at home and abroad are sceptical" and concludes that "The Royal Society of Chemistry asserts that nuclear power has to be part of the future national energy mix, in which it plays a major role. Fossil fuels have to be eradicated for people to live in a healthy environment. Let's say yes to nuclear and no to Dr No's nonsense."
D. Markovitsi, president of the European Photochemistry Association, presents D. Phillips with the Porter Medal at the IUPAC Symposium on Photochemistry at Ferarra
