RESEARCH AREAS

Luping Yu

Luping Yu Professor University of Chicago P: 773-702-8698 E: lupingyu@uchicago.edu Yu Research Group B.S., Zhejiang University, 1982; Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1989

Biographical Sketch

Luping Yu received his B.S. degree in chemistry in 1982 and a M.S. degree in polymer chemistry in 1984 from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, where he worked in Prof. Zhiquan Shen’s group. He earned his Ph.D. degree in polymer and physical vhemistry in 1989 and continued his postdoctoral training as part of Prof. L. R. Dalton’s group at the University of Southern California. In 1991, Yu joined the faculty of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Chicago as an assistant professor and is currently a Professor of Chemistry.

Research Statement

Yu’s research group is one of the pioneers in organic photorefractive polymers.  His group also pioneered the synthesis and investigation of metal-containing conjugated polymers, rod-rod conjugated diblock polymers and p-n junction molecular diodes. Current research focuses on polymer chemistry, surface chemistry and supramolecular chemistry. Examples of current projects include: (1) development of polymerization methodologies, (2) supramolecular assembly of nanostructured materials for nanoelectronics and molecular electronics, (3) conjugated diblock copolymers for the formation of self-assembled, nanosized electroactive materials for light harvesting, (4) new low bandgap semiconducting polymers for high efficiency solar energy conversion, (5) nanoporous polymers for hydrogen storage, and (6) gene transfer polymers.

Most Significant Honors & Awards

• NSF Special Creativity Award, 2004
• Mr. & Mrs. Sun Chan Memorial Award in Organic Chemistry,1998
• National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award, 1994-1999
• Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Young Investigator Award, 1993-1995
• Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation New Faculty Award, 1991-1996