Lin Pu

About

Lin Pu is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Virginia, with a research focus on organic, polymer, and organometallic chemistry, particularly asymmetric catalysis and chiral sensors. His multidisciplinary research involves organic synthesis, molecular recognition, fluorescent sensing, and the development of polymers for applications in materials, catalysis, and sensing. He utilizes the 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) and its derivatives as chiral building blocks to construct novel chiral molecules and macromolecules for diverse applications. Pu has developed a family of enantioselective fluorescent sensors for recognizing organic molecules such as alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids, amino acids, amino alcohols, and amines, which are useful for rapid enantiomeric analysis, high throughput chiral catalyst screening, biological analysis, and imaging. His work includes the discovery of highly enantioselective organic reactions catalyzed by Lewis acid complexes of optically active binaphthyl molecules and polymers, leading to the synthesis of interesting chiral organic molecules with biological functions. Lin Pu is recognized as one of the most cited researchers in materials science and engineering, and his contributions significantly advance the understanding and application of chiral materials and asymmetric catalysis.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Immunology

Selected publications

• Regioselective Substitution of BINOL

  Chemical Reviews · 2024-05-09 · 44 citations

  reviewOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  1,1'-Bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) has been extensively used as the chirality source in the fields of molecular recognition, asymmetric synthesis, and materials science. The direct electrophilic substitution at the aromatic rings of the optically active BINOL has been developed as one of the most convenient strategies to structurally modify BINOL for diverse applications. High regioselectivity has been achieved for the reaction of BINOL with electrophiles. Depending upon the reaction conditions and subs…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• One Molecular Probe with Opposite Enantioselective Fluorescence Enhancement at Two Distinct Emissions

  Organic Letters · 2023-03-20 · 15 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  It is discovered that one enantiomer of a chiral substrate can greatly enhance the fluorescence of one molecular probe at one emitting signal (λ1 = 517 nm), while the opposite enantiomer of the substrate greatly enhances the fluorescence of the same probe at a distinctively different emission (λ2 = 575 nm). This probe is made of a 1,1′-binaphthyl-based chiral dialdehyde that in combination with Zn2+ under slightly acidic conditions shows a chemoselective and enantioselective fluorescent response…

  PublisherDOI

• Regio- and Enantioselective Macrocyclization from Dynamic Imine Formation: Chemo- and Enantioselective Fluorescent Recognition of Lysine

  Organic Letters · 2023-10-16 · 13 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  The dynamic covalent chemistry of imines is utilized to conduct a regioselective as well as enantioselective synthesis of an unsymmetric (C1) chiral macrocycle from the reaction of an unsymmetric (C1) chiral dialdehyde, (S)-4, that contains a salicylaldehyde unit and a benzaldehyde unit, with lysine, an unsymmetric (C1) chiral diamine. The enantioselectivity is further enhanced in the presence of Zn2+. Compound (S)-4 in combination with Zn2+ is found to be a highly chemoselective as well as enan…

  PublisherDOI

• Synthesis of a BINOL‐Based <i>C</i>₃ Symmetric Schiff Base and Its Fluorescence Response to Zn²⁺

  ChemPlusChem · 2023-02-17 · 10 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract A novel C 3 symmetric 1,1’‐bi‐2‐naphthol‐based Schiff base ( R , R , R )‐ 6 has been synthesized which shows highly selective fluorescence enhancement with Zn 2+ among 21 metal cations examined. Its sensitivity and selectivity are found to be greater than other related C 2 ( 1 ) and C 1 [( R )‐ 9 ] symmetric compounds in the fluorescent recognition of Zn 2+ . The mechanistic study reveals that the selective fluorescence enhancement of the probe can be attributed to the formation of a un…

  PublisherDOI

• Fluorous-Phase- and Chiral-Axis-Enhanced Fluorescent Sensitivity and Chemoselectivity for Cysteine Recognition

  Organic Letters · 2025-01-06 · 8 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Highly fluorinated naphthyl aldehyde 1 and binaphthyl aldehyde (R)-2 were designed and synthesized for fluorous-phase-based sensing. Greatly enhanced sensitivity and chemoselectivity in going from 1 to (R)-2 in the fluorescent detection of cysteine has been discovered. This is attributed to the increased structural rigidity of the axially chiral binaphthyl unit in (R)-2 upon reaction with cysteine to form the corresponding thiazolidine product. The fluorous-phase-based detection of cysteine not…

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Enantioselective Fluorescent Recognition of Amino Alcohols and Catalyst Screening

  NSF · $460k · 2019–2023

• gamma-Hydroxy-alpha,beta-Acetylenic Esters: Asymmetric Synthesis and Application

  NSF · $415k · 2007–2011

• NIH Grant R01EB002037

  NIH · $403k · 2005

Frequent coauthors

• Xiao‐Qi Yu

  Xihua University

  189 shared

• Jingyuan Liu

  Capital Medical University

  98 shared

• Haofeng Xiong

  Capital Medical University

  80 shared

• Xiang Pan

  First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University

  78 shared

• Shanshan Yu

  Guangxi University

  65 shared

• Chuansheng Li

  58 shared

• Shanshan Yu

  East China University of Technology

  54 shared

• Qiao‐Sheng Hu

  48 shared

Labs

• Lin Pu LaboratoryPI

Awards & honors

• Most cited researcher in materials science and engineering

Similar researchers at University of Virginia

• Jarrod Martoh-101
• Sen Zhangh-80
• David S. Cafisoh-60