Dr. Sergio Barranco, a former PhD student in the group of Prof. Mónica H. Pérez-Temprano at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), has been awarded the prestigious Premio Investiga by Suschem-España. The national award recognises the best scientific publication of the year in chemistry, honoring his research published in Nature Catalysis.
The Premio Investiga forms part of the SusChem Young Chemical Researchers Awards, an initiative that recognizes scientific contributions by early-career researchers in Spain. The award includes a €6,000 prize and is decided by an expert jury representing academia, industry, and leading scientific and innovation organizations.
The award-winning study Charting the influence of deuterium sources in hydrogen isotope exchange using a cobalt(III) catalytic platform combines mechanistic experiments with data science to move beyond the traditional “one substrate-one mechanism” approach. By analysing broad substrate families through statistical models built from reaction intermediates, the authors showed that the deuterium source is not merely a reagent but can actively trigger distinct reaction mechanisms. The work provides new insights into hydrogen isotope exchange and introduces a powerful strategy for exploring mechanistic complexity across broad substrate classes, with implications for catalyst design, pharmaceutical research, and the development of more efficient catalytic processes.
“It is a great honour to receive this award and to see the value of mechanistic research recognised. Understanding how chemical reactions occur is essential for developing more sustainable processes. Our work shows that even transformations that may appear simple at first can still hide unexpected complexity and many secrets waiting to be uncovered.” reflects Dr. Sergio Barranco.
During his doctoral research at ICIQ under the supervision of Prof. Pérez-Temprano, Dr. Barranco focused on unraveling complex catalytic reaction mechanisms to enable the rational design of more efficient catalytic systems. The Premio Investiga recognizes the impact of this research and its contribution to advancing transition-metal catalysis towards more sustainable and resource-efficient chemical processes.
“I am thrilled to see Sergio’s outstanding contribution recognized through this award. This publication is a great example of how combining mechanistic studies with data science can open new ways of understanding catalytic reactions and reveal insights that would be difficult to obtain using either approach alone. To me, it also illustrates how fundamental research becomes most exciting when different scientific approaches come together to challenge established assumptions,” adds Prof. Mónica H. Pérez-Temprano.
Dr. Barranco’s achievement further highlights ICIQ’s commitment to training the next generation of scientific leaders while delivering high-impact research that addresses global challenges.
Reference publication
Charting the influence of deuterium sources in hydrogen isotope exchange using a cobalt(III) catalytic platform
Barranco, S.; Eshel, I. L.; Zhang, J.; Di Matteo, M.; Milo, A.; Pérez-Temprano, M. H.
Nat. Catal. 2025
DOI: 10.1038/s41929-025-01447-x
La entrada ICIQ Alumnus Dr. Sergio Barranco awarded Suschem “Premio Investiga” 2026 se publicó primero en ICIQ.