JCP has been involved in projects involving the Design of molecules for therapeutic use, synthesis of organic and coordination compounds, structural characterisation of new compounds, Catalysis and Speciation in Solution. Synthesis Development of synthetic methodologies for several types of organic compounds by procedures involving activation by metal ions, namely using coordination complexes of vanadium, copper, nickel and several other metal ions. Catalysis Development of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic systems for the synthesis of several types of organic compounds. Asymmetric synthesis involving homogeneous catalysis by transition metal complexes. Synthesis involving catalysts supported in solids or encapsulated in zeolites. Proposal and study of the mechanisms of catalytic reactions, namely with the establishment of the more relevant steps of the reactions and identification of intermediate species. Design of molecules for therapeutic use Design, synthesis and characterisation of ligands, and of the corresponding complexes, to obtain suitable compounds for therapeutic use, namely for the treatment of diabetes, as anti-tumour, anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic agents. The metal ions used have mainly been oxovanadium(IV and V), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ru(II/III). For the more promising compounds speciation studies are made in aqueous solution. JCP has also been also involved in the study of the interaction of the prospective therapeutic compounds with plasma proteins (e.g. albumin and transferrin), and/or with other proteins, and/or with DNA, mainly using spectroscopic (EPR, CD, NMR, fluorescence, UV-Vis) and electrophoretic techniques. Structural Characterisation Besides the use of several spectroscopic techniques for the structural characterisation of compounds, JCP has been involved in projects involving the use of circular dichroism in the study of stereochemistry of organic compounds and of metal complexes, in the structural characterisation of peptides and proteins and in the study of interactions of small molecules with proteins and DNA. Analytical Chemistry JCP has been involved in studies of speciation in solution using potentiometric and spectroscopic techniques, and the structural characterisation of the species formed. International Publications with reviewing: ca. 200 Communications in Conferences: ca. 300 (ca. 110 orally) Book Chapters: 10 Books/volumes edited: 5 Technical/Scientific Texts: 10 Pedagogical texts: 14 Main Honors and Awards 2012: 1st Prize (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Environment) Santander-Totta – UTL 2014: Vanadium Award, 6th recipient of the International Prize, awarded at the 9th International Vanadium Symposium, Padova, Italy, June 2014.