Francesco Buda

Francesco Buda is an Associate Professor at the Leiden Institute of Chemistry (LIC), part of Leiden University's Faculty of Science. His research focuses on computational chemistry and molecular simulations, particularly in the context of photosynthesis and energy conversion. He holds a Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics from the International School for Advanced Studies (Trieste, Italy) and has held academic positions at Leiden University since 2001. Buda's work bridges theoretical and applied chemistry, with contributions to artificial photosynthesis, photocatalytic water splitting, and quantum computing applications in chemistry.

His teaching responsibilities include undergraduate and graduate courses such as 'Computational Chemistry and Molecular Simulations' and 'Photochemistry.' He has supervised over 15 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom have contributed to high-impact studies on energy transfer mechanisms and molecular design for solar fuel technologies.

Buda's research has been supported by grants from NWO and other funding bodies. He is a member of the European Psi-k network and has organized international conferences on computational chemistry and quantum technologies. His work on the DSM Research Award-winning paper on aluminum-alkyl cocatalysts highlights his longstanding engagement with molecular structure and reactivity.