Speakers
KEYNOTE 1: "From Data to Dynamics: Enhancing Potential Energy Surfaces with Experimental Insights"Antoine Aerts is a Chemist specializing in theoretical and computational chemistry. He pursued a PhD in theoretical and computational chemistry at Université libre de Bruxelles and at the University of Alberta, where he worked on laser quantum control and potential energy surface fitting for quantum dynamics. Following his PhD, he was appointed as a lecturer in the Faculty of Science and, more recently, at the Solvay Brussels School – Economics and Management, where he teaches courses ranging from general chemistry to advanced quantum mechanics. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Université libre de Bruxelles, aiming to bridge the gap between computational and experimental approaches, with a particular emphasis on spectroscopic signatures in the infrared region. His research explores the development of accurate potential energy surfaces by leveraging the locality of atomic interactions and integrating available experimental data from spectroscopy to enhance computational models. His work contributes to a deeper understanding of molecular dynamics, reaction mechanisms, and quantum simulations, with applications in spectroscopy, chemical reactivity, and molecular modeling. Key Topics: IR spectroscopy ● Quantum dynamics ● Neural Networks ● Potential Energy Surfaces |
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ULB |
KEYNOTE 3: "Small and Bright : Synthesis of Nanoparticles for Photocatalysis and Biomass Valorization Applications"Sophie Hermans is an Inorganic Chemist who obtained her first degree (Licence en Chimie) at UCLouvain in Belgium, followed by a Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies (DEA) with the Polytechnic School in Paris. She carried out her PhD at the University of Cambridge (UK) under the supervision of Prof. Brian F. G. Johnson, working on mixed-metal clusters synthesis, then pursued postdoctoral studies in Cambridge (as JRF, Newnham College) with Prof. Sir John M. Thomas to immobilize the mixed-metal clusters in MCM-41 for heterogeneous catalytic applications. After moving back to UCLouvain with a FNRS Chargée de recherches position, she started working on carbon-supported catalysts for sugar transformations and chemical functionalization of (nano)carbon surfaces. She obtained the FNRS Chercheur Qualifié and Assistant Professor positions in 2005 and since then was promoted to FNRS Research Director in 2020 and Professeur Ordinaire in 2023. Her research interests are still connected to inorganic molecular chemistry, carbon-based catalysts for biomass valorization, surface functionalization and nanostructured materials preparation. Applications also span metamaterials, gas sensors and photocatalysis in continuous flow. Key Topics: (Nano-)Carbon ● Supported catalysts ● Functionalization ● Nanomaterials ● Biomass |
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UCLouvain |
