Jeffrey Lipshultz 

Our group explores under-explored concepts in organic and organometallic photochemistry to enable the development of new synthetic technologies. Along the way, we leverage all available physical and analytical tools to study these unique photochemical phenomena to drive deeper understanding and innovation in catalyst design, structure, and function. In one major research thrust, we are inspired by the synthetic organic chemistry of PLP-dependent enzymes and seek to leverage the unexplored photochemistry of biomimicking catalyst-substrate complexes for the development of value-adding synthetic transformations of amino acids. In another major research thrust, we develop ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) photochemistry of organometallic and inorganic Ti complexes, allowing for tuning of catalytic reactivity based on the electronics and coordination environment of the versatile Ti center. 

4. Leveraging Divergent Ligand-to-Metal Charge-Transfer Excited State Pathways for Catalyst Control over Alkoxyl Radical Reactivity. Z. Tang,* Y. Lin,* A. Mehmood, A. E. Lojko, J. A. Shah, N. J. Schwartzapfel, B. G. Levine, J. M. Lipshultz. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c22609. *Equal contribution
3. 3-Hydroxy-4-pyridinecarboxaldehyde. T. D. Schoch, J. M. Lipshultz. Encycl. Reagents Org. Synth. 2026, DOI: 10.1002/9780470842898.rn02664.
2. Degradative Alcohol Functionalization by Titanocene Photocatalysis. J. A. Shah, A. E. Lojko, Z. Tang, Y. Lin, E. H. Scher, C. A. Barefoot, J. M. Lipshultz. ACS Catal. 2025, 15, 15315–15323.
1. Pyridoxal-Inspired Photo-Decarboxylase Catalysis: Photochemical Decarboxylation of Unprotected Amino Acids. D.-H. Tan, A. Das,* V. Huang,* T. D. Schoch, A. L. Mohammed, J. M. Lipshultz. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202424843. *Equal contribution. 

 

2025, Richard Van Duyne Early Career Award in Experimental Physical Chemistry, ACS PHYS Division

2025, Danser Distinguished Faculty Chair in Chemistry, Lehigh University

2025, Senior Member, National Academy of Inventors

2021, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation

2020-2022, Class of ’61 Professorship, Lehigh University

2020, Sloan Research Fellowship, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

2019, NSF CAREER, National Science Foundation

2018, Beckman Young Investigator, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation