Kitsopoulos Theofanis

Prof. Kitsopoulos Theofanis is a Professor at the University of Crete and a Research Associate at the Institute of Electronic Structure and Lasers (IESL-FORTH), Greece, holding an adjunct professorship at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, Germany. He earned a BSc in Chemistry (Highest Honors, 1986) from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a PhD in Physical Chemistry/Chemical Physics (1991) from the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on chemical dynamics, photodissociation, ion/electron imaging, and heterogeneous catalysis. He pioneered Slice Imaging and has contributed to advancing techniques for studying surface reactions. His work includes seminal studies on carbon monoxide oxidation on platinum surfaces and novel imaging applications in ophthalmology and photovoltaics. He leads a research group at the Max Planck Institute investigating surface chemical kinetics. Awards include the Humboldt Foundation Research Award (2012) and Bodossaki Science Award (2003). His research spans fundamental surface chemistry, catalysis, and interdisciplinary applications.

Research interests emphasize experimental and theoretical methods to probe molecular-level reaction mechanisms. His team’s innovations in imaging techniques enable high-resolution analysis of reaction dynamics, including velocity-resolved kinetics and surface processes. Key achievements include demonstrating imaging methods for heterogeneous catalysis and advancing laser-based ophthalmological treatments. His work bridges chemical physics with materials science, impacting both foundational research and applied technologies.