Martín Fañanás-Mastral

Martín Fañanás-Mastral is a Full Professor in the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), where he leads the Sustainable Catalysis and Asymmetric Synthesis research group at the Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biológica y Materiales Moleculares (CIQUS). His research program focuses on discovering and developing novel metal-catalyzed reactions for sustainable and atom-efficient synthetic methodologies using readily accessible materials while minimizing waste production.

His primary research interests include Sustainable Catalysis, Asymmetric Synthesis, Methane Functionalization, and Transition Metal Catalysis. Fañanás-Mastral's work particularly emphasizes the selective functionalization of hydrocarbons and the development of catalytic enantioselective reactions for synthesizing bioactive compounds. His ERC Consolidator Grant project "BECAME" focuses on bimetallic catalysis for diverse methane functionalization, addressing one of chemistry's major challenges: converting abundant but inert methane into valuable organic molecules.

His recent publications demonstrate significant advances in photocatalytic alkane functionalization, borylative coupling reactions, and enantioselective synthesis methodologies. The research trends show a strong focus on developing sustainable catalytic processes that eliminate traditional waste-generating steps, with particular emphasis on C-H activation, dual catalytic systems, and creating complex molecular architectures with high stereocontrol.

• Thieme Chemistry Journal Award (2015)
• Young Researchers Award from Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry (2016)
• Lilly Young Researcher Award (2018)
• ERC-Consolidator Grant (2019)
• José Barluenga Medal by GEQOR (2025)
• Second Ícarus Prize 2025 in Doctoral Theses

Fañanás-Mastral actively mentors numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, with several successful PhD defenses in 2025 alone. His research group has secured significant funding including multiple European grants such as the ERC-CoG "BECAME," MSCA Doctoral Network "CATALOOP," and MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship "MePhoCAT." The group maintains strong industry partnerships through various European projects focused on sustainable chemistry and catalytic methodologies.

The Fañanás-Mastral research team operates within CIQUS, a specialized research center at USC with CIGUS recognition from the Xunta de Galicia. The group regularly conducts research using flow chemistry techniques and maintains collaborations with other leading institutions including ICIQ for computational studies. Their work environment fosters innovation through regular group activities, summer BBQs, and collaborative events as documented in their group photos from 2024-2025.