On the evening of Tuesday 22 September 2026 we welcomed Professor Ludovic Troian-Gautier from the Universite Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) to talk about his research on ultrafast photo-induced chemical processes.
Every light-induced transformation, from the first steps of photosynthesis to the workings of an artificial solar fuel system, begins with events that are almost unimaginably fast. When a molecule absorbs light, energy and electrons rearrange long before any chemistry becomes visible. How, then, can we understand what actually happens?
The answer lies in time-resolved spectroscopy: a family of techniques that use ultrashort laser pulses as a stroboscope to "film" molecules in motion, capturing fleeting excited states and charge-separated intermediates as they appear and vanish. By watching these events across a cascade of timescales, scientists have pieced together the general mechanisms by which light is converted into chemical energy. Ludovic’s talk traced parts of that journey that has allowed the design of molecular systems that store sunlight in chemical bonds. He showed how learning to observe photochemistry on the femtosecond to millisecond timescale has become one of the most powerful tools for building a more sustainable, light-driven chemistry.
Working at the interface of photochemistry and photophysics, Professor Ludovic Troian-Gautier’s research places renewable energy at the forefront and tackles contemporary issues faced by society. His group uses sunlight to generate “solar fuels” (such as the production of hydrogen through proton reduction or methane via the reduction of carbon dioxide) through challenging reactions as well as for the synthesis of compounds with added value, both in solution and at the metal oxide interface. He is interested in understanding key fundamental processes that govern excited-state reactivity.
The talk took place at the British School of Brussels (BSB) in Tervuren and was followed by our usual social networking with RSC Belgium members and friends.
Ludovic's talk was recorded and can be reviewed either below or via the RSC Belgium YouTube Channel.
