Igor was born in Barcelona, Spain. He received his undergraduate education at the Universitat de Barcelona (1999) where he also underwent M.Sc. and Ph.D. studies with Felix Urpi and Pere Romea on the Stereoselective c-glycosidation reactions with chiral titanium enolates. A fellowship from Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia supported three month's research in Professor Erick M. Carreira's laboratories at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. With a second fellowship he started postdoctoral research in Professor Anthony G. M. Barrett's group at Imperial College London, UK, were he was appointed group leader. In September 2007 he started his independent career as a Lecturer in synthetic organic chemistry at Queen Mary University of London, and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2011 and to Reader in Catalysis in 2012. In 2014 Igor moved to the University of Manchester to take up the position of Professor of Organic Chemistry, after which he was promoted to Chair in Organic Chemistry. Igor received an ERC Starting Grant in 2011 and currently holds an ERC Advanced Grant. In 2019, Igor was selected for the UK Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists as a Chemistry finalist.

RuAqua Ruthenium-based catalysts are renowned for their ability to promote selective hydrogenation, oxidation, and metathesis processes, which are essential in organic synthesis and industrial applications. However, despite their widespread utility, many of the developed protocols require high reaction temperatures or light irradiation, limiting their use on delicate high-complexity substrates. We have recently developed a new highly reactive air- and moisture-stable ruthenium precatalyst - RuAqua. This new precatlayst can facilitate an array of transformations, including late-stage C(sp2)–H arylation, primary/secondary alkylation, methylation, hydrogen/deuterium exchange, C(sp3)–H oxidation, alkene isomerization and oxidative cleavage C-H Activation C-H functionalisation is a transformative strategy in organic chemistry. This approach is important because it enables the efficient construction of complex molecules without the need for pre-functionalised substrates, simplifying synthesis routes and reducing waste. By selectively activating inert C-H bonds, chemists can introduce a wide range of functional groups, facilitating the creation of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and advanced materials. C-H functionalisation also enhances atom economy and reaction efficiency, aligning with sustainable chemistry goals. Its development expands the toolbox of synthetic methodologies, fostering innovation and progress in various scientific and industrial fields. While a powerful tool C-H functionalisation remains limited with biological molecules often being out of reach. Decarboxylative Functionalisation Carboxylic acids or their corresponding esters are ubiquitous in organic chemistry. Leveraging this accessibility is vital for decarboxylative functionalisation, which enables the transformation of these readily available starting materials into a wide variety of valuable products. This strategy allows for the introduction of diverse functional groups, often under mild conditions, and can simplify synthetic routes by avoiding the need for pre-functionalised substrates. Decarboxylative functionalisation also facilitates the construction of complex molecules and natural products, contributing significantly to advancements in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and material science. Artificial Intelligence A thorough understanding of a reaction's mechanism can act as a roadmap for rationally improving catalysts. However, the route to mechanistic understanding can often be daunting and require significant time and effort. Artificial intelligence (AI) allows for a significant reduction in this barrier, providing a more streamlined aproach to mechanistic elucidation. Integrated Catalysis The cutting edge in catalysis is interdisciplinary. It requires knowledge of chemistry, biology and physics too. We are proudly part of the integrated catalysis ( iCAT ) CDT where we explore the combination of exciting techniques including electro-,photo-, and biocatalysis in the aim of enhancing reactivity, selectivity and sustainability.

Engineered enzymes for enantioselective nucleophilic aromatic substitutions Nature, 2025, 16, 1141–1150 Thomas M. Lister, George W. Roberts, Euan J. Hossack, Fei Zhao, Ashleigh J. Burke, Linus O. Johannissen, Florence J. Hardy, Alexander A. V. Millman, David Leys, Igor Larrosa, Anthony P. Green An air- and moisture-stable ruthenium precatalyst for diverse reactivity Nature Chemistry, 2024, 16, 1141–1150 Gillian McArthur, Jamie H. Docherty, Mishra Deepak Hareram, Marco Simonetti, Iñigo J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, James J. Douglas, Igor Larrosa Small-Molecule Inhibition of CBX4/7 Hypersensitises Homologous Recombination-Impaired Cancer to Radiation by Compromising CtIP-Mediated DNA End Resection Cancers, 2024, 16, 1141–1150 Hugh C. Osborne, Benjamin M. Foster, Hazim Al-Hazmi, Stefan Meyer, Igor Larrosa, Christine K. Schmidt Electrochemical Ruthenium‐Catalysed Directed C−H Functionalization of Arenes with Boron Reagents Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis, 2024, 366, 830-837 Jacob Kenyon, Igor Larrosa Unlocking regioselective meta-alkylation with epoxides and oxetanes via dynamic kinetic catalyst control Nature Communications, 2024, 15, 31 Peng-Bo Bai, Alastair Durie, Gang-Wei Wang, Igor Larrosa Transition-Metal-Catalyzed C–H Bond Activation for the Formation of C–C Bonds in Complex Molecules Chemical Reviews, 2023, 123, 7692-7760 Jamie H. Docherty, Thomas M. Lister, Gillian Mcarthur, Michael T. Findlay, Pablo Domingo-Legarda, Jacob Kenyon, Shweta Choudhary, Igor Larrosa Carboxylic Acid Salts as Dual‐Function Reagents for Carboxylation and Carbon Isotope Labeling Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2023, 62, e202218371 Shuo Wang, Igor Larrosa, Hideki Yorimitsu, Gregory J. P. Perry Organic reaction mechanism classification using machine learning Nature, 2023, 613, 689–695 Jordi Burés, Igor Larrosa Improving the sustainability of the ruthenium-catalysed N-directed C–H arylation of arenes with aryl halides Green Chemistry, 2023, 25, 2394-2400 Michael T. Findlay, Ashley S. Hogg, James J. Douglas, Igor Larrosa Ruthenium-Catalyzed Monoselective C–H Methylation and d3-Methylation of Arenes JACS Au, 2022, 2, 11, 2529–2538 Ashley Hogg, Matthew Wheatley, Pablo Domingo-Legarda, Asier Carral-Menoyo, Naomi Cottam, Igor Larrosa Effects of Lateral Size, Thickness, and Stabilizer Concentration on the Cytotoxicity of Defect-Free Graphene Nanosheets: Implications for Biological Applications ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2022, 5, 9, 12626–12636 Chen-Xia Hu, Oliver Read, Yuyoung Shin, Yingxian Chen, Jingjing Wang, Matthew Boyes, Niting Zeng, Adyasha Panigrahi, Kostas Kostarelos, Igor Larrosa, Sandra Vranic, Cinzia Casiraghi A manganese(i)tricarbonyl-catalyst for near room temperature alkene and alkyne hydroarylation Chemical Science, 2022, 13, 13225-13230 Shweta Choudhary, Diego M. Cannas, Matthew Wheatley, Igor Larrosa Catalysis with cycloruthenated complexes Chemical Science, 2022, 13, 3335-3362 Michael T. Findlay, Pablo Domingo-Legarda, Gillian McArthur, Andy Yen, Igor Larrosa Insights into the exfoliation mechanism of pyrene-assisted liquid phase exfoliation of graphene from lateral size-thickness characterisation Carbon, 2022, 186, 550-559 Oliver Read, Yuyoung Shin, Chen-xia Hu, Marco Zarattini, Matthew Boyes, Xavier Just-Baringo, Adyasha Panigrahi, Igor Larrosa, Cinzia Casiraghi Sesquiterpene Lactones Potentiate Olaparib-Induced DNA Damage in p53 Wildtype Cancer Cells International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022, 23(3), 1116 Hugh C. Osborne, Igor Larrosa, Christine K. Schmidt Ru-catalyzed room-temperature alkylation and late-stage alkylation of arenes with primary alkyl bromides Chem Catalysis, 2021, 1(3), 691-703 Matthew Wheatley, Michael T. Findlay, Rocío López-Rodríguez, Diego M. Cannas, Marco Simonetti, Igor Larrosa Structure and Mechanism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA0254/HudA, a prFMN-Dependent Pyrrole-2-carboxylic Acid Decarboxylase Linked to Virulence ACS Catalysis, 2021, 11, 5, 2865–2878 Karl A. P. Payne, Stephen A. Marshall, Karl Fisher, Stephen E. J. Rigby, Matthew J. Cliff, Reynard Spiess, Diego M. Cannas, Igor Larrosa, Sam Hay, David Leys Enhanced liquid phase exfoliation of graphene in water using an insoluble bis-pyrene stabiliser Faraday Discussions, 2021, 227, 46-60 Yuyoung Shin, Xavier Just-Baringo, Matthew Boyes, Adyasha Panigrahi, Marco Zarattini, Yingxian Chen, Xinyun Liu, Gareth Morris, Eric Prestat, Kostas Kostarelos, Sandra Vranic, Igor Larrosa, Cinzia Casiraghi Ag/Pd Cocatalyzed Direct Arylation of Fluoroarene Derivatives with Aryl Bromides ACS Catalysis, 2020, 10, 3, 2100–2107 Adyasha Panigrahi, Daniel Whitaker, Iñigo J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, Igor Larrosa Cyclometalated Ruthenium Catalyst Enables Ortho-Selective C–H Alkylation with Secondary Alkyl Bromides Chem, 2020, 6, 1459-1468. Gang-Wei Wang, Matthew Wheatley, Marco Simonetti, Diego M. Cannas, Igor Larrosa C–H Borylation: No Need to Stop for Directions Trends in Chemistry, 2020, 2, 957-959 Hugh C. Osborne, Alastair Durie, Christine K. Schmidt, Igor Larrosa Palladium catalysed C–H arylation of pyrenes: access to a new class of exfoliating agents for water-based graphene dispersions Chemical Science, 2020, 11, 2472-2478 Xavier Just-Baringo, Yuyoung Shin, Adyasha Panigrahi, Marco Zarattini, Vaiva Nagyte, Ling Zhao, Kostas Kostarelos, Cinzia Casiraghi, Igor Larrosa Stable, concentrated, biocompatible, and defect-free graphene dispersions with positive charge Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 12383-12394 Yuyoung Shin, Sandra Vranic, Xavier Just-Baringo, Sai Manoj Gali, Thomas Kisby, Yingxian Chen, Alexandra Gkoutzidou, Eric Prestat, David Beljonne, Igor Larrosa, Kostas Kostarelos, Cinzia Casiraghi Transition metal-free cross-dehydrogenative arylation of unactivated benzylic C–H bonds Chemical Communications, 2020, 56, 14479-14482 Andrew R. A. Spencer, Rachel Grainger, Adyasha Panigrahi, Thomas J. Lepper, Katarzyna Bentkowska, Igor Larrosa meta-Selective olefination of fluoroarenes with alkynes using CO2 as a traceless directing group Chemical Science, 2020, 11, 4204-4208 Andrew R. A. Spencer, Rishi Korde, Marc Font, Igor Larrosa Evidence for Site-Specific Reversible Hydrogen Adsorption on Graphene by Sum-Frequency Generation Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2019, 123, 42, 25883–25889 Huda AlSalem, Xavier Just-Baringo, Igor Larrosa, Umberto Monteverde, Xingxing Jiang, Yexin Feng, Sven P. K. Koehler Catalytic Asymmetric C–H Arylation of (η6-Arene)Chromium Complexes: Facile Access to Planar-Chiral Phosphines ACS Catalysis, 2019, 9, 6, 5268–5278 María Batuecas, Junfei Luo, Ivana Gergelitsová, Katrina Krämer, Daniel Whitaker, Iñigo J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, Igor Larrosa Enzymatic Carboxylation of 2-Furoic Acid Yields 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid (FDCA) ACS Catalysis, 2019, 9, 4, 2854–2865 Karl A.P. Payne, Stephen A. Marshall, Karl Fisher, Matthew J. Cliff, Diego M. Cannas, Cunyu Yan, Derren J. Heyes, David A. Parker, Igor Larrosa, David Leys Charge-tunable graphene dispersions in water made with amphoteric pyrene derivatives Molecular Systems Design & Engineering, 2019, 4, 503-510 Yuyoung Shin, Xavier Just-Baringo, Marco Zarattini, Liam H. Isherwood, Aliaksandr Baidak, Kostas Kostarelos, Igor Larrosa, Cinzia Casiraghi Decarboxylative Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of (hetero)aromatic carboxylic acids using iodine as the terminal oxidant Chemical Communications, 2019, 2019,55, 6445-6448 Jacob M. Quibell, Guojian Duan, Gregory J. P. Perry, Igor Larrosa Benzoate Cyclometalation Enables Oxidative Addition of Haloarenes at a Ru(II) Center Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2018, 140, 37, 11836–11847 Marco Simonetti, Rositha Kuniyil, Stuart A. Macgregor, Igor Larrosa Ag(I)–C–H Activation Enables Near-Room-Temperature Direct α-Arylation of Benzo[b]thiophenes Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2018, 140, 30, 9638–9643 Chiara Colletto, Adyasha Panigrahi, Jaime Fernández-Casado, Igor Larrosa Cyclometallated ruthenium catalyst enables late-stage directed arylation of pharmaceuticals Nature Chemistry, 2018, 10, 724–731 Marco Simonetti, Diego M. Cannas, Xavier Just-Baringo, Iñigo J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, Igor Larrosa Ketone C–C Bond Activation Meets the Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-coupling Chem, 2018, 4, 1203-1204 Xavier Just-Baringo, Igor Larrosa Transition-metal-free decarboxylative bromination of aromatic carboxylic acids Chemical Science, 2018, 9, 3860-3865 Jacob M. Quibell, Gregory J. P. Perry, Diego M. Cannas, Igor Larrosa Two prime or not two prime Nature Catalysis, 2018, 1, 381–382 Andrew Spencer, Rocio Lopez-Rodriguez, Igor Larrosa meta-C–H arylation of fluoroarenes via traceless directing group relay strategy Chemical Science, 2018, 9, 7133-7137 Marc Font, Andrew R. A. Spencer, Igor Larrosa