Members

We are always looking for talented and enthusiastic scientists. Available Postdoctoral and PhD positions will be advertised once the necessary funding is secured. Useful resources from UCLouvain can be found here and here for scientist with international mobility. Competitive grants are also available via the FNRS for PhD and Postdoctoral grants. Note that the calls for such grants is usually in January and in August.

If you are interested in joining our research group or are able to secure independent funding via, please contact Ludovic TROIAN-GAUTIER.

Group Leader

Prof. Ludovic TROIAN-GAUTIER

Ludovic TROIAN-GAUTIER obtained his B.S. (2008), M.S (2010) and Ph.D in chemistry (2014) from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB – Belgium) where he focused on the development of novel transition metal complexes for opto-electronic applications with Prof. C. Moucheron and Prof. A. Kirsch-De Mesmaeker. He then undertook post-doctoral research at X4C, a new start-up, where he worked with Prof. I. Jabin and Dr. A. Mattiuzzi on surface modification using calix[4]arene derivatives. At the end of 2015, he was awarded the Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF) fellowship, followed by the Bourse d’Excellence WBI.World (2016-2018) to undertake postdoctoral research with Prof. Gerald J. Meyer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). In April 2017, he joined the UNC Energy Frontier Research Center, the Alliance for Molecular PhotoElectrode Design for Solar Fuels (AMPED EFRC, directed by Pr. Thomas J. Meyer and Pr. Gerald J. Meyer), where he focused on the development of novel molecular photocatalysts and their use in the development of novel photoelectrodes that in turn can generate so-called “solar fuels”. He still holds a visiting scientist position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (with Pr. Gerald J. Meyer) In May 2019, he started a Chargé de Recherche position (FNRS) at the Université libre de Bruxelles where he worked on energy related challenges. In October 2021, he received a Collaborateur Scientifique (F.R.S.-FNRS) position and was then promoted to Chercheur Qualifié (F.R.S.-FNRS) in October 2022 to continue pursuing research on energy related challenges at UCLouvain within the Institute of Condensed matter and Nanosciences - Molecular Chemistry, Materials and Catalysis Division (IMCN/MOST). 

Postdoctoral Students

Dr. Felix GLASER

I studied chemistry at the University of Basel (Switzerland) where I received a M.Sc. degree under the supervision of Oliver S. Wenger in 2018 working on light-driven reactions involving challenging reduction steps. During my doctoral studies in the same group, I mainly focused on reactivity control for photochemical reactions as well as on dual photocatalysis. In 2023, I joined the group of Christoph Kerzig at the Johannes-Gutenberg University in Mainz (Germany) for nine month as a postdoctoral researcher to learn more on multi-component upconversion systems. Since November 2023, I work in the group of Ludovic Troian-Gautier as an FNRS postdoctoral fellow and investigate transition metal complexes based on earth-abundant metals. I have orcid (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6717-916X) and google scholar account (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8fTXQ 0AAAAJ&hl=de&oi=ao).

Dr. Catherine JOHNSON

I received my Msci (integrated master’s) in Chemistry with a Year in Industry from Imperial College London. I did an internship at Schlumberger Cambridge Research for my one-year industrial placement where I used FTIR-ATR and XRF spectroscopy to perform compositional and quantitative analysis on drilling fluids and solids as well as improving the established quantification methods. Thus grew my interest in spectroscopy (any kind really), and I returned to Imperial for my last year working with Dr. Artem Bakulin in his Ultrafast Optoelectronics group, where I mainly used TCSPC and fs-TAS to study the charge dynamics of binary and ternary organic photovoltaic devices based on small molecule and non-fullerene acceptors. Afterwards, I pursued my PhD in physical chemistry under the supervision of Dr. Reiner Lomoth at Uppsala University, Sweden. I worked on the characterisation of novel iron N-heterocyclic carbene complexes, and studied the excited-state electron-transfer mechanisms behind the photoredox catalytic and solar energy conversion applications implementing such complexes. In September 2025, I started my postdoctoral research with Prof. Ludovic Troian-Gautier on bimolecular electron transfer and cage escape processes.

Dr. Pengju LI

I obtained my Master’s degree in Engineering in June 2019 from Beijing University of Chemical Technology. From September 2019 to December 2022, I pursued my doctoral research in Ke Hu’s group at Fudan University. Between September 2019 and April 2021, my research focused on the photocatalytic reaction kinetics of nanomaterials simulating catalase activity. In April 2021, I shifted my focus to photocatalysis and dye-sensitized photoelectrocatalysis based on organic molecules for halide oxidation and C–H activation. I received my PhD in Physical Chemistry in December 2022, with a thesis entitled “Kinetics and Applications of Molecular Dye Photocatalysis for Energy-Demanding Reactions.” In January 2023, I began my postdoctoral research in Ke’s group, focusing on electrocatalytic and photocatalytic lithium reduction-mediated nitrogen fixation. Since August 2025, I have joined the group of Ludovic Troian-Gautier as postdoctoral researcher where I investigate cage escape processes using transition metal complexes.

Dr. Prabhat RANJAN

I received my PhD in Chemistry in 2021 from KU Leuven, Belgium, as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow under the supervision of Prof. Erik Van der Eycken. My doctoral research focused on developing innovative methodologies using heterogeneous and organocatalysis, often integrated with enabling technologies such as flow chemistry and microwave-assisted synthesis. In the final year of my PhD, I delved down in the field of photocatalysis, focusing on the generation of carbon-centered radicals from alkyl boronic acids. In 2021, I joined the group of Prof. Romano Orru, where I worked on biomass valorization and isocyanide chemistry, merging these approaches with photocatalysis. In 2023, I was awarded a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship to continue this line of research within Prof. Orru’s group. As of March 2025, I am part of the research team led by Prof. Ludovic Troian-Gautier, where my work centers on solar fuel generation at the interface of nanocarrier systems.

PhD Students

Katerina ACHILLEOS

I received my Bachelor degree in Chemistry at University of Crete in Greece. Then, my internship took place in the Microbiological and Physical Chemistry laboratory at factories of Charalambides Christis LTD in Cyprus. Afterwards, I received my Master’s degree in Biological Inorganic Chemistry at University of Ioannina in Greece. My Master’s thesis title was ‘’Synthesis and Characterization of Metalloporphyrins and NC-Dots Hybrids for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production’’ with the guidance of professor Coutsolelos Athanasios. Currently, I moved at Belgium as a PhD student at UCLouvain with the guidance of professor Ludovic Troian Gautier, ready for the challenges! 

Céline BOURGOIS

I am Céline Bourgois, and I completed my Master’s degree in Chemistry at UCLouvain in 2024. During my studies, I worked on a master’s thesis under the supervision of Prof. Elias and Prof. Troian-Gautier where I focused on photoinduced electron transfer processes at metal oxide interfaces. This research strengthened my expertise in material photochemistry. In September 2024, I began my PhD, continuing my research journey under the guidance of Prof. Troian-Gautier. My interests lie in organic and inorganic synthesis, and I have developed strong skills in advanced analytical techniques, including NMR, transient absorption, and spectro-electrochemistry. I am driven by curiosity and a passion for advancing chemical research, and I’m excited to contribute to the innovative work in our lab.

Sven LEMPEREUR

My academic and scientific journey began in 2017 at UCLouvain, where I first pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Science, before transitioning to Chemistry for both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. During my Master’s thesis, which focused on the development of strongly donating bipyridine ligands for iridium complexes, I had the opportunity to benefit from the complementary expertise of the Dielmann group (Austria), specialized in highly reactive small molecules, and the Troian-Gautier group at UCLouvain. After graduating in 2025, I began my PhD under the joint supervision of Profs. Fabian Dielmann and Ludovic Troian-Gautier, working on the design of ligands for earth-abundant metals useful in photocatalysis applications. I hope to contribute to both groups by transferring the knowledge acquired in one laboratory to the other, thereby creating a productive bridge between the two. At the same time, I aim to bring the determination and perseverance developed during my previous sports career in climbing into my scientific work.

Leonardo ROTONDI

I obtained my BSc in Chemistry (2022) from the University of Siena with a thesis on the environmental impact of perovskite solar cell production via Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). During my MSc in Chemistry (2025) at the same university, I contributed to a project focused on statistical analysis on the outcomes of ML models predicting IST molecules. I then carried out my MSc thesis as an Erasmus student at Uppsala University under the supervision of Dr. Luca D’Amario, developing and testing prototypes of electrocatalytic flow cells through electrochemical techniques and fluid dynamic simulations. After the graduation, I joined Sectris AB, where I worked on the development of flow cells for spectroelectrochemistry. Currently, I am pursuing a joint experimental/computational PhD between UCLouvain and KULeuven, supervised by Prof. Ludovic Troian-Gautier and Prof. Daniel Escudero.

Julien RUBENS

My scientific journey led me to earn a Master’s degree in Chemical Sciences in 2024 from UCLouvain, following my Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 2022. During my Master, I completed an internship at Trinity College under the supervision of Thorfinnur Gunnlaugsson and performed a master thesis with Professors B. Elias and L. Troian-Gautier where I studied cage-escape processes using ruthenium (II) and iridium (III) complexes. Passionate about both organic and inorganic chemistry, I am eager to continue my research and thus started a PhD in September 2024 with Professors B. Elias and L. Troian-Gautier. My intellectual curiosity drives me to learn new techniques and tackle the many challenges of fundamental research.
 

Lakshmi SATHEESH BABU

My academic journey began with an undergraduate degree in Electronics (BSc), followed by a Master of Technology in Nanotechnology and a Master of Science in Nanoscience (by research) from Amity University, Noida, India. I then completed my master's thesis at IMEC (Interuniversity Microelectronics Center) in Belgium. Currently, I am pursuing a PhD in the department of Molecular Chemistry, Materials, and Catalysis at UCLouvain under the supervision of Prof. Ludovic Troian-Gautier.

Joffrey SCRIVEN

My academic and scientific journey began in 2018 at UCLouvain. During my studies, I had the chance to work on palladium-catalyzed DAAA reaction at UCD in Dublin. In 2024, I performed my master thesis under the supervision of Profs. Elias and Troian-Gautier where I performed mechanistic investigations of deaminative benzylic arylation on various diazenes in collaboration with the Michaudel group in Texas, USA. After my graduation in 2024, I began my PhD under the guidance of Profs. Elias and Troian-Gautier working on the synthesis of complexes based on abundant metals for photocatalysis applications.

Aksa SUNNY ANNIE

I am Aksa S Annie, originally from Kottayam, Kerala, India. I earned my B.Sc. in Chemistry from St. Mary’s College, Manarcaud (2018–2021), followed by an M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry from the School of Chemical Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala. As part of my master’s program, I conducted a research project at the CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow under the supervision of Dr. Kishor Mohanan, focusing on the synthesis of potential anti-cancer drug compounds. After completing my postgraduate studies, I worked as a Project Associate at the National Institute of Technology, Karaikal, Puducherry, under the guidance of Dr. Vasudevan Dhayalan. This role enhanced my expertise in organic chemistry and further fuelled my enthusiasm for research. In April 2025, I began my PhD under the supervision of Prof. Troian-Gautier, continuing my scientific journey with a focus on organic and materials chemistry. I am deeply passionate about chemical synthesis and advanced analytical techniques, and I look forward to making meaningful contributions to the innovative research conducted in our lab.

Thomas THUNISSEN

I completed my Bachelor and Master in Chemistry at UCLouvain (2020–2025). During this time, I had the opportunity to carry out a four-month internship at the University of Basel in the group of Prof. Oliver S. Wenger. This experience sparked my strong interest in the photochemistry of Earth-abundant metals, which motivated me to pursue my Master’s thesis in the group of Prof. Ludovic Troian-Gautier. There, I gained hands-on experience in photophysical characterization, including both steady-state and time-resolved techniques. In October 2025, I started my Ph.D. within the same group where I focus on the photochemistry of Earth-abundant metals.

Ana Karem VEGA SALGADO

I received my B. Sc in Physics at the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, where I developed the colloidal synthesis of CdSe nanoparticles. After that, I move to the National Institute of Astrophysics Optics and Electronics and performed a M.Sc. followed by a PhD in Optics with a special focus on the study of charge transport in perovskite semiconductors. My passion for optics led me to lead a science outreach chapter, through which we won the First Outstanding Chapter Award at the international Optics+Photonics 2022 congress organized by SPIE. Since February 2024, I am undertaking a second PhD under the guidance of Prof. Ludovic Troian-Gautier.

Master Students

Gabriel DUTRONT

Staff

Jessica VENICX

Stéphanie WAUTIER

Alumni

Abdullah M. ABUDAYYEH (Postdoctoral Research, 2024-2025)