One of the goals of this manuscript is to celebrate the forty years of the SBQ (Sociedade Brasileira de Química). We believe using historical analysis could benefit our researchers to overcome the challenges ahead, look into the future, to the scientific progress and the way science increases its problem-solving ability. There are several topics covered by the challenges in Physical Chemistry: nanoscience and nanotechnology, single molecule studies, gas phase photochemistry and photophysics, molecular structure, spectroscopy, reaction dynamics, interfacial phenomena, energy, and so on. However, the critical challenge for our Division still is to create a desired link between experimental approaches and theoretical knowledge.-