Fu is a professor of organic chemistry at the California Institute of Technology.
His research projects focus on developing new catalysts for many types of reactions.
In particular, they use transition metals and various nucleophilic mechanisms for catalytic activity.
He is widely known for his work in the area of first row metal (Ni, Cu)-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, including enantioconvergent coupling involving alkyl fragments.
He also works in preparative-scale chiral chromatography.
In 2014, he was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
He was awarded an Arthur C.
Cope Scholar Award for 1998-1999.
He was awarded the Elias J.
Corey Award from the American Chemical Society for 2004.