ICIQ group leader Dr. Mónica Pérez-Temprano has won the 2021 Young Investigator Award by the Organic Division of EuChemS for her contribution “to the U3D goal (Understand, Discover, Design and Develop), novel and more efficient transition metal-catalyzed reactions.”

The Pérez-Temprano group is focused on giving mechanistic investigations of chemical reactions a new dimension by using mechanisms as a priori tool for developing innovative and more sustainable transition metal-catalyzed transformations. Her unique approach is to use reaction intermediates as “knowledge building blocks” (KBBs) to uncover the factors that hinder the efficiency of catalytic transformations and subsequently, propose tailored-made solutions to solve them. Her research group is currently applying her knowledge-driven approach to site-selective C–H functionalization reactions catalyzed by Cp*Co-based systems.

EuChemS Division of Organic Chemistry “Young Investigator Award” aims at recognizing the scientific contribution of the most promising European Organic Chemist under the age of 40, and is sponsored by the European Journal of Organic Chemistry. The winner is selected by an international panel from the pool of about 30 participants of the Young Investigator Workshop, who have been nominated by their region’s chemical society – Dr. Pérez-Temprano was nominated by the Catalan Chemical Society.

This year will bring together two editions of the Young Investigator Workshop: 2021 and 2022. The workshop will be organized in Lisbon, as part of the 8th EuChemS Chemistry Congress, where the two awards, the 2021 YIA to Dr. Mónica Pérez-Temprano and the 2022 YIA to Prof. Anat Milo (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel), will be presented.

ICIQ group leader Prof. Marcos G. Suero was awarded the 2019 Young Investigator award.