Academic Education and Professional Experience

BS, Lanzhou University (1982);

Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh (1986);

Senior Research Associate: UCLA (1989-92)

Courses:

Organic Chemistry, Computational Chemistry

Research Interests

1. Dr. Wu's group is currently involved in several areas of research using computer tools:

2. Mechanism and stereoselectivity of transition-metal catalyzed organic reactions.

3. Chemistry of early-transition-metal alkyl and alkylidene complexes.

4. Molecular design with natural and non-natural amino acids.

5. Secondary structures and super-secondary structures of peptides.

6. Development of polarizable molecular mechanics force-fields for the study of biomolecules.

Select publications

1. Y.-D. Wu, David K. W. Lai, "A Density Functional Study on the Stereocontrol of the Sharpless Epoxidation", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117 , 11327-11336.

2. Y.-D. Wu, D.-P. Wang, "Theoretical Studies of b-Peptide Models", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120 , 13485-13493.

3. D. Yang, J. Qu, B. Li, F.-F. Ng, K.-K. Cheung, D.-P. Wang, Y.-D. Wu, "Novel Turns and Helices in Peptides of Chiral a-Aminoxy Acids", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121 , 589-590.

4. Wu, Y.-D.; Wang, D.-P. "Theoretical Studies on the Side-Chain Control of 14-Helix and 10/12-Mixed Helix of b-peptides." J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121 , 9352-9362.

5. Wu, Y.-D., Zhao, Y.-L. "The Origin of Corporative Formation for 310-helix and Alpha-Helix", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123 , 5313-5319.

6. Wu, Y.-D.; Yu, Z.-X. "Theoretical Study on the Mechanism and Diastereoselectivity of Kulinkuvich Hydroxycyclopropanation", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123 , 5777-5785.

7. Sheng, Y.-H.; Wu, Y.-D. "Theoretical Study on Alkyne Addition to Molybdenum Alkylidenes: The Preference of ? and ? Additions", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123 , 6662-6668.

8. Zhao, Y.-L.; Wu, Y.-D. "A Theoretical Study on b-Sheet Models: Is the Formation of Hydrogen Bond Network Cooperative?", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124 , 1570-1571.