Dr. Davide Ferri
Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland
Summer School Archive
SpectroCAT 2026
Vibrational spectroscopies applied to catalysis and adsorption
June 29 – July 3, 2026
Caen, Normandy, France
LCS / ENSICAEN
Welcome to the Summer School SpectroCAT 2026 !
This Summer School is organised by the Laboratory for Catalysis and Spectrochemistry (LCS, ENSICAEN, CNRS, Normandie Université) and hosted by the National Graduate School of Engineering of Caen (ENSICAEN).
Programme Overview
The SPECTROCAT Summer School provides a comprehensive and hands-on introduction to vibrational spectroscopies applied to catalysis and adsorption.
- Morning lectures – Fundamentals and advanced aspects of vibrational spectroscopy including: theory, instrumentation, cell design, multi-technique coupling, in situ and operando methods, reactor dynamics, kinetic data collection, and data processing.
- Afternoon laboratory sessions – Practical training on in situ and operando experiments using state-of-the-art IR and Raman spectroscopic equipment available at LCS (VISIO platform).
Who Should Attend
The School is open to PhD students, post-doctoral researchers, early-career & confirmed scientists, and industrial professionals interested in catalysis, spectroscopy, and materials characterisation. A background in physical chemistry or materials science is recommended, but no prior advanced IR experience is required.
Practical Information
- Dates: June 29 – July 3, 2026
- Location: Caen, Normandy, France
- Format: Morning lectures + Afternoon practical sessions
- Places limited – early registration strongly encouraged
Registration Fees (VAT included)
- Students: 700 € – includes accommodation in a nearby student residence and breakfast from June 28 to July 3.
- Academic participants: 1050 € – optional accommodation in a nearby student residence and breakfast: +200 € VAT.
- Non-academic participants: 1350 €.
Registration & Contact
For program details, venue information, rates, accommodation, and the social program, please bookmark this website - it will be updated when information is available. Early registration is encouraged, as the number of available places is limited.
Previous editions :
SpectroCAT 2024 From July 10 to July 12, 2024 - 25th ICC Sattelite conference - not a Summer School
SpectroCAT 2022 From June 27 to July 1, 2022
SpectroCAT 2018 From May 30 to May 31, 2018 - not a Summer School
SpectroCAT 2016 From June 27 to July 1, 2016
SpectroCAT 2013 From September 9 to September 13, 2013
SpectroCAT 2010 From July 19 to July 23, 2010
SpectroCAT 2007 From September 17 to September 21, 2007
Contact : spectrocat@ensicaen.fr
Lectures
The school will consist of various courses about vibrational spectroscopy, from general principles to specialised lectures on in situ and operando infrared techniques, including cells and apparatus, multi-technique couplings, reactor dynamics and kinetic data collection, data processing and analysis, R&D applications…
The school will also be completed by practical training sessions on in situ and operando experiments using state-of-the-art equipment and systems of the LCS laboratory.
List of lecturers:
CNRS Senior Researcher Grégory Lefevre
PSL Université, Chimie ParisTech — CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris
Prof. Alexandr Oshchepkov
ESPCI Paris - PSL, France
List of speakers from the LCS:
- Prof. Marco Daturi: University of Caen Normandy
- Prof. Arnaud Travert: University of Caen Normandy
- Prof. Guillaume Clet: University of Caen Normandy
- Prof. Laetitia Oliviero: University of Caen Normandy
- Karine Thomas: Senior Lecturer - University of Caen Normandy
- Cassandre Kouvatas: Senior Lecturer - University of Caen Normandy
- Aurélie Vicente: Senior Lecturer - University of Caen Normandy
- Federico Azzolina-Jury: Senior Lecturer - ENSICAEN
Practical training
The following list presents examples of laboratory practicals and program offered during previous editions of the SPECTROCAT Summer School.
These topics are provided for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the practical sessions planned for the 2026 edition. The final programme for this year will be announced later and may differ significantly depending on equipment availability, instructors, and scientific focus.
- Introduction to Raman spectroscopy on catalysts
- Metal dispersion of Al₂O₃ supported platinum catalysts measured by CO chemisorption
- CO and pyridine to probe and quantify acid sites of a MFI-zeolite
- Basic properties of ZrO₂/CeO₂ mixed oxide probed by in-situ CO₂ adsorption/desorption
- Use of Methanol as an IR probe to study the reduction process in ceria–zirconia mixed compounds
- Operando FTIR spectroscopy: N₂O decomposition
- Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx by NH₃. An operando IR spectroscopic study of stationary sources exhaust gases treatment using FER zeolites
- Operando IR coupled to SSITKA experiments for photocatalysis studies
- AGIR: a new tool combining Analysis by Gravimetry and IR spectroscopy
- Determination of adsorption parameters by IR spectroscopy
- Spectra processing and analysis
- Observation of surface species during plasma-assisted CO₂ conversion
- Solid-state NMR: ²⁷Al, ¹H, ¹³C MAS NMR studies
- Determination of OH accessibility on silica by OH–OD isotopic exchange followed by IR
- Study of sulfide catalysts (MoS₂/Al₂O₃) by IR spectroscopy using CO as probe molecule
- Operando IR study of the Temperature-Programmed Reduction by CO of Platinum Supported on Zirconia–Ceria: a DRIFT/TRANSMISSION cells comparison
- ATR-IR coupled with flow adsorption system to study solid-liquid interface
Program
The SPECTROCAT 2026 Summer School took place from Monday, June 29 to Friday, July 3, 2026, combining lectures, coffee breaks, lunches, laboratory practice sessions and social events.
Monday, June 29, 2026
| 08:15 – 08:45 | Registration Participant check-in and badge collection. |
|---|---|
| 08:45 – 10:15 | Introduction to Vibrational Spectroscopies Amphitheater — Pr. G. Clet |
| 10:15 – 10:45 | Coffee break |
| 10:45 – 12:15 | IR Cell Design for In Situ and Operando Amphitheater — Dr. P. Bazin |
| 12:15 – 14:15 | Lunch — University Restaurant “Côte de Nacre” |
| 14:15 – 17:30 | Lab Practice VISIO platform |
| 17:45 – 20:00 | Welcome Reception Multi-activity room |
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
| 08:30 – 10:00 | Adsorbed Species and IR Probe Molecules for Surface Sites Impurities, acidity and basicity — Amphitheater — F. Maugé, A. Vimont |
|---|---|
| 10:00 – 10:30 | THERMOFISHER M. Ries |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee break |
| 11:00 – 12:30 | Spectral Analysis and Processing Amphitheater — Prof. A. Travert |
| 12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch — University Restaurant “Côte de Nacre” |
| 14:00 – 17:00 | Lab Practice VISIO platform |
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
| 08:15 – 09:30 | Operando: General Approach Amphitheater — Prof. M. Daturi |
|---|---|
| 09:30 – 10:30 | Operando in Photo-Catalysis Amphitheater — Dr. M. El-Roz |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee break |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | Modulation Excitation Spectroscopy — MES Dr. Davide Ferri |
| 12:00 – 13:45 | Lunch — University Restaurant “Côte de Nacre” |
| 13:45 – 14:45 | Characterization of Metal-Organic Framework and Zeolitic Materials Amphitheater — Dr. F. Thibault-Starzyk |
| 16:45 – 18:00 | Guided Visit Abbaye aux Hommes — Meeting point: Caen City Hall, Jean Louvelle Esplanade |
| 18:00 – 20:00 | Cocktail with host institutions Caen City Hall — Salle du réfectoire |
Thursday, July 2, 2026
| 08:30 – 09:30 | Raman Spectroscopy for Characterisations in Catalysis Amphitheater — Prof. Guillaume Clet |
|---|---|
| 09:30 – 10:30 | Solid State NMR for Catalysts and Adsorbents Amphitheater — Dr. C. Kouvatas, A. Vicente |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee break |
| 11:00 – 12:30 | IR Probes for Supported Metals on Oxides and Sulfur Amphitheater — Prof. L. Oliviero |
| 12:30 – 14:15 | Lunch — University Restaurant “Côte de Nacre” |
| 14:15 – 17:15 | Lab Practice VISIO platform |
| 18:45 – 22:45 | Gala Dinner Bus transportation from Campus 2 — La Ferme de Billy, Rots |
Friday, July 3, 2026
| 08:30 – 09:30 | In situ ATR-IR Spectroscopy of Aqueous Solutions and Solid-Solution Interfaces Dr. G. Lefevre |
|---|---|
| 09:30 – 10:30 | Operando Spectroscopy for Electrocatalysis Amphitheater — Dr. Alexandr Oshchepkov |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee break |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | Operando in Plasma-Assisted Catalysis Amphitheater — Dr. F. Azzolina-Jury |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Closure Lunch box |
Accommodation
Student participants were hosted in a nearby student residence, with breakfast and lunch at the university restaurant included.
Participant feedback
“Thank you for organizing SpectroCAT 2026! I really appreciate your sincere support.”
“The school was very inspiring for me. I brought home a lot of new information that I am going to apply to my research.”
“The whole program was very well organized.”
“It was an excellent summer school for learning while having a lot of fun with very nice people from Caen.”
“The school was very inspiring for me, I brought home a lot of new information which I am going to apply for my research. Big thanks to Marco Daturi for the consultation a all the team for organising the summer school.”
"My only comment is to thank you for organizing this school. I know that arranging such a well-organized event requires a lot of effort and can be very stressful. I truly enjoyed this school more than any conference, congress, or other scientific school I have attended so far. This was thanks to many aspects, including the accommodation, the reduced concerns about meals (I particularly appreciated the possibility of having a lunch box during the last days), the many social events, the overall organization, the highly experienced lecturers, and the practical sessions, which greatly contributed to the learning experience.”
Sponsors
Past editions
- 2024 — July 10–12, 2024 — 25th ICC satellite conference
- 2022 — June 27–July 1, 2022
- 2018 — May 30–31, 2018
- 2016 — June 27–July 1, 2016
- 2013 — September 9–13, 2013
- 2010 — July 19–23, 2010
- 2007 — September 17–21, 2007
About ENSICAEN
ENSICAEN is located on the northern campus of Caen and combines engineering education, research laboratories, innovation, international partnerships and student life.
Social events
Social events included a guided visit of the Abbaye aux Hommes, welcome drinks, a welcome cocktail at ENSICAEN and a gala dinner at Ferme de Billy-Rots.