Ph.D. University of Massachusetts, Amherst
M.S. University of Massachusetts, Amherst
B.S. Fudan University, Shanghai

Phone: (860) 486-8969
Email: ylin@ims.uconn.edu
Website:http://www.ims.uconn.edu/~ylin/

The Lin Group studies bio-inspired macromolecules and materials. In nature, there are many examples in which the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. We are very curious on the mechanisms and implications of such cooperative behaviors, especially at the molecular and macromolecular levels. We believe that understanding the molecular cooperativity, and incorporating the concept into the design of synthetic and hybrid macromolecules will lead to the development of new functional materials with unprecedented collective properties. We use the techniques of polymer synthesis, macromolecular characterization, physical chemistry, molecular biology and biochemistry as tools to study and manipulate various macromolecular systems. Our current research involves (1) cooperative supramolecular polymerizations from macromolecules and nanoparticles, (2) folding cooperativity in complex macromolecules containing synthetic polypeptides, (3) multicatalytic enzyme assemblies and (4) protein-polymer hybrids with allosteric controls.

1. J. Wang, H. Lu, R. Yuan, Y. Zhang, M. Morton, J. Cheng, Y. Lin, “Interrupted helical structures in polypeptide-grafted brush-like macromolecules,” Macromolecules, 44, 8699–8708 (2011).

2. J. Wang, H. Lu, R. Kamat, S. V. Pingali, V. S. Urban, J. Cheng & Y. Lin, “Supramolecular polymerization from polypeptide-grafted comb polymers,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 133, 12906-12909 (2011).

3. H. Lu, J. Wang, Y. Bai, J. W. Lang. S. Liu, Y. Lin & J. Cheng, “Ionic polypeptides with unusual helical stability,” Nature Communications, 2, 206 doi: 10.1038/ncomms1209 (2011).

4. H. Lu, J. Wang, Y. Lin & J. Cheng, “One-pot synthesis of brush-like polymers via integrated ring-opening metathesis polymerization and polymerization of amino acids N-carboxyanhydrides,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 131, 13582-13593 (2009).

5. W. P. Hall, J. N. Anker, Y. Lin, J. Modica, M. Mrksich & R. P. Van Duyne, “A calcium-modulated
plasmonic switch,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 5836–5837 (2008).

6. Y. Lin, A. Böker, J. He, K. Sill, H. Xiang, C. Abetz, X. Li, J. Wang, T. Emrick, S. Long, Q. Wang, A. Balazs & T.P. Russell, “Self-directed assembly of nanoparticles/copolymer mixtures,” Nature 434, 55-59 (2005).

7. Y. Lin, H. Skaff, T. Emrick, A. D. Dinsmore & T. P. Russell, “Nanoparticle assembly and transport at liquid-liquid interfaces,” Science 299, 226-229 (2003).

8. Y. Lin, H. Skaff, A. Böker, T. Emrick, A. D. Dinsmore & T. P. Russell, “Ultrathin crosslinked nanoparticle membranes,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125, 12690-12691 (2003).