Dates and Venue

June 4–5, 2026
Université Gustave Eiffel, Batiment Bienvenue
77420 Champ sur Marne, France.

Attendance is free upon mandatory registration –> register here!

Organizing Committee

Sandra Gómez
Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias
Calle Francisco Tomás y Valiente, 7, Módulo 13
28049 Madrid, Spain
Email:

Tsveta Miteva
Laboratoire de Chimie Physique – Matière et Rayonnement
4 Place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France
Email:

Majdi Hochlaf
Université Gustave Eiffel, COSYS/IMSE
5 Boulevard Descartes
77454 Champs-sur-Marne, France
Email:

Summary

This two-day international discussion meeting will bring together researchers actively engaged in the study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), with expertise spanning combustion science, astrochemistry, spectroscopy, and planetary exploration.

The workshop aims to stimulate interdisciplinary discussion and lay the groundwork for collaborative research initiatives at the European level, within the framework of the COST Actions COSY (“Confined Molecular Systems: from the new generation of materials to the stars”, CA21101) and NanoSpace (“Carbon molecular nanostructures in space”, CA21126).

A key objective is to foster dialogue between theoreticians and experimentalists, encouraging each community to reflect on its expectations and needs from the other.

The meeting will address major theoretical and experimental challenges in the description of PAHs. From a theoretical perspective, the large molecular size of PAHs limits the applicability of computationally demanding post-Hartree–Fock methods. Their extended conjugation and aromatic ring systems lead to a high density of electronic states, many of which are near-degenerate due to strong electron delocalization. These features give rise to complex non-adiabatic couplings and multiple relaxation pathways, making the accurate description of population transfer, photoproduct formation, and intramolecular energy migration particularly challenging.

Topics will include state-of-the-art computational techniques for large PAHs, accurate modelling of electronic structure and excited-state dynamics, and the potential of machine-learning-based tools for treating PAH electronic structure.

On the experimental side, recent advances in understanding PAH formation mechanisms, their role in combustion processes, and their environmental impact will be presented. These studies rely on advanced spectroscopic techniques, including synchrotron-based methods and photoion–photoelectron coincidence spectroscopy. Additional sessions will focus on PAH evolution and detection in diverse environments, PAH structure in terrestrial and interstellar conditions, and the modification and survival of PAHs under ionizing radiation.

Participants

The workshop is expected to host approximately 20–25 participants, including 11 invited speakers, along with a poster session. Participants will come from France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium.

Confirmed invited speakers (20-minute talks):
Rita Prosmiti, Aude Simon, Xavier Mercier, Vicenzo Barone, Helgi Rafn Hrodmarsson, Christine Joblin, Alicja Domaracka, Gustavo García, Sumit Srivastav, Daniel Peláez-Ruiz, Henning Zettergren, Jérémy Bourgalais.

Contributions from 8 additional speakers, including doctoral and postdoctoral researchers (20-minute talks), are also planned.

Tentative Program

The timing and scheduling of presentations will be arranged according to speaker availability, ensuring an inclusive and participatory atmosphere. The meeting will conclude with open discussions on future collaborative projects within the newly established PAHs Task Force of the COSY COST Action. Networking sessions will promote knowledge exchange and foster new interdisciplinary collaborations.

Thursday, June 4, 2026

• 10:00 – 10:30: Welcome café and opening
• 10:30 – 11:00: Christine Joblin
• 11:00 – 11:30: Sandra Gomez
• 11:30 – 11:45: Yannick Carissan
• 11:45 – 12:00: Fatima Baterdouk
• 12:00 – 12:15: Oriane Shviro
• 12:15 – 14:00: Lunch
• 14:00 – 14:30: Henning Zettergren
• 14:30 – 15:00: Aude Simon
• 15:00 – 15:15: Rita Roque
• 15:15 – 15:45: Coffee
• 15:45 – 16:15: Alicja Domaracka
• 16:15 – 16:30: Loïse Attal
• 16:30 – 17:00: Dariusz Kędziera
• 17:00 – 18:00: Poster session and round table

Friday, June 5, 2026

• 9:30 – 10:00: Vincenco Barone
• 10:00 – 10:30: Jérémy Bourgalais
• 10:30 – 11:00: Coffee
• 11:00 – 11:30: Xavier Mercier
• 11:30 – 12:00: Majdi Hochlaf
• 12:00 – 12:30: Gustavo Garcia
• 12:30 – 14:00: Lunch
• 14:00 – 14:30: Cyril Falvo
• 14:30 – 15:00: Rita Prosmiti
• 15:00 – 15:30: Coffee
• 15:30 – 16:00: Daniel Peláez
• 16:00 – 16:15: Laurens Antoine