José Carretas is presently Auxiliary Researcher in the Department of Engineering and Nuclear Sciences of the Instituto Superior Técnico and belongs also to the Structural Chemistry Center Research Unity. The research activity of José Carretas has been essentially related to the Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry of Lanthanides and Actinides, namely the synthesis and characterization of lanthanide alkoxides and aryloxides. The reactions of lanthanide metals with alcohols and phenols were studied by metal vapour synthesis, by dissolution in liquid ammonia and by direct reactions. The synthesis, characterization and reactivity of organocompounds of lanthanides and actinides with pyrazolylborate and pyrazolylalkane ligands, and multidentate donor ligands (oxygen and nitrogen), namely bis(phenolate)diamines, was also investigated. He was also interested in the study of the gas-phase reactions of lanthanide and actinide cations with alcohols, phenols and alkylorthoformates by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR/MS). Electrospray ionization quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-QIT/MS) was also used to investigate several aspects of the coordination chemistry of lanthanides and actinides. These studies ranged from the characterization of new f-element complexes to the examination of fundamental gas-phase properties of lanthanides and actinides. The present research interests are in the area of recuperation and valorization of rare earths. Functionalized ionic liquids are being used for the selective extraction of lanthanides. PVDF membranes soaked with different active compounds or synthesized chitosan-based membranes containing these active compounds were used.