Martin-Louis Riu

Martin-Louis Riu serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Inorganic Division at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he designs novel reagents for small molecule activation and binary materials synthesis within the Nava research group.

His academic foundation includes:

• B.S. in Chemistry from Emory University, researching photoredox-catalyzed C–C bond formation under Prof. Nate Jui
• Ph.D. in Chemistry from MIT with Prof. Christopher "Kit" C. Cummins, developing phosphorus-tetrahedrane reagents
• Postdoctoral training at Caltech with Prof. Hosea Nelson on organocatalytic carbocation control

Dr. Riu's research program bridges Inorganic Chemistry and Materials Science through innovative phosphorus chemistry, focusing on strained molecular architectures like tetrahedranes and phosphacyclobutadienes. His work pioneers "spring-loaded" phosphinidene synthons for alkene functionalization and explores strain-alleviation strategies in heterocyclic systems, with direct applications in catalytic small-molecule activation and advanced materials development. This interdisciplinary approach integrates synthetic methodology, mechanistic analysis, and structural characterization to address fundamental challenges in molecular design.

Analysis of his 2020-2024 publications reveals a cohesive research trajectory centered on phosphorus-based reagent design, with consistent contributions to high-impact journals including Journal of the American Chemical Society and Science Advances. Key themes include the synthesis of elusive phosphorus clusters, Lewis acid-mediated isomerization strategies, and dipolar cycloaddition chemistry, collectively advancing methodologies for manipulating challenging molecular scaffolds.

His scholarly recognition includes:

• Donald J. Cram Teacher-Scholar award

As an active faculty member, Dr. Riu contributes to UCLA's academic mission through research mentorship in the Nava lab and instructional responsibilities. While specific grant details aren't provided, his publication record indicates sustained research productivity in inorganic synthesis. His ORCID profile (0000-0002-0900-3545) documents ongoing scholarly engagement.

The Nava laboratory environment fosters collaborative exploration of small-molecule activation mechanisms, where Dr. Riu's expertise in phosphorus chemistry drives innovation in reagent design and materials synthesis through integrated experimental and computational approaches.