Our forthcoming programme of events is outlined below. Why not bookmark this page to ensure you know what is happening and when?
22 September 2026 - Watching Light Rearrange Matter, One
Billionth of a Second at a Time
On the evening of Tuesday 22 September 2026 we will welcome Professor Ludovic Troian-Gautier from the Universite Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) to talk to us 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 traces parts of that journey
that has allowed the design of molecular systems that store sunlight in
chemical bonds. He will show 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 will start at 19h30 and will be in the Social Area above the Brel Theatre at the British School of Brussels (BSB), Tervuren. The talk is free to all and will be followed by our usual social networking with drinks and light snacks.
Prior registration is mandatory to comply with BSB Security
arrangements. Please register
using this form and feel free to forward this invitation to friends and
colleagues. Note that registration will close on Monday 21 September 2026 at
18h00.
10 November 2026 - Nuclear Medicine and Radiopharmaceuticals (Exact title TBC)
On the evening of Tuesday 10 November 2026 we will welcome Dr Steve Dierick from the Institute for Radioelements (IRE).
More details soon.
