Hydrogen reduction of an Ir(I) complex featured by a bulky N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand in dichloromethane gave small-sized (1.8 nm) Ir nanoparticles (NPs) decorated with NHC ligands (IrNHC). 1,4-Dioxane solutions of the latter particles were successfully applied to convert glycerol into lactic acid in the presence of NaOH (i.e. 1 mol equivalent with respect to glycerol). IrNHC showed an atom-related TOF value of almost 104 h−1, an almost exclusive formation of liquid reaction products, a high selectivity for lactic acid (93.0%) and a complete recyclability in air atmosphere. Attempts to synthesize analogous NHC-stabilized Ir NPs on a high surface area carbon support (CK) by reducing the same Ir(I) precursor, supported onto CK, prior to the hydrogen reduction in water, gave almost naked CK-supported Ir NPs (1.4 nm). Their catalytic activity tested for the same reaction in water as reaction medium …