Michael addition is a chemical reaction where a nucleophile adds to an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound. This process typically involves a conjugate addition, where the nucleophile attacks the β-carbon of the unsaturated system, leading to the formation of a new carbon-carbon bond. The reaction is named after Arthur Michael, who first described it in the early 20th century. It is widely used in organic synthesis to create complex molecules, particularly in the pharmaceutical and materials science fields, due to its ability to form stable products with diverse functional groups.