Bingyin Li was born and grew up in Henan University, where his father had been working for 31 years after his returning from the United States. HENU therefore was a cradle for Li not only physically but also academically. He spent his childhood wandering around in the university campus, officially started his education in School of Chemistry of HENU in 1944, graduated in 1948, and worked at the school until he retired in 1992.

Li has done a lot to promote the development of the Chemistry discipline of Henan University: establishing the environmental chemistry laboratory, creating courses like Chemical Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, and the public course, Selected Topics in Environmental Science, which was later made the reference book for postgraduate entrance exam from1979 to 1998.

Besides, he also made outstanding achievements in the research of drug electrodes, playing a leading role in the world. His papers were published in world-famous chemical journals, making Henan University recognized by chemistry units in the world. Those outstanding scientific achievements made him a lifetime member of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 1989.

Holding the same view with Mencius who emphasized the importance of cultivating younger generations, he considered teaching students as the happiest thing and would do everything possible to assist students’ academic progress. He first established a student group and taught the members all he knew for free for ten years since 1981. He prepared a distinctive teaching plan for those students – learning chemical English first before working with all-English literatures and testifying literatures under his guidance. Studying with him, students mastered the capability of innovation and exploration, some even had papers published when they were still students. The group members, like Professor Zhijun Zhang in Henan University, have made achievements in chemistry-related fields.

Bingyin Li showed great concern for his students, especially for those from poor families. He made a donation of 100,000 yuan to the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering to help with discipline construction and the life of students from poor families in 2012. To express gratitude for his support, the College then set up a program named after him - the Bingyin Scholarship.