He is currently a Full Professor (IST, since 1989) and Coordinator/Founder of the research Group on “Coordination Chemistry and Molecular Electrochemistry, Synthesis and Catalysis”.
His research activities[5] concern: Activation of small molecules with biological, pharmacological, environmental or industrial interest or related ones [e.g., alkanes (functionalization under mild conditions), alkynes, phosphaalkynes, isocyanides, carbon monoxide, dinitrogen, nitriles, cyanamides, nitric oxide, oximes, oxadiazolines, carboxamides, amidines, olefins, azides or cyanates] by transition metal centres, and developing their application in metal-mediated synthesis and catalysis, namely by searching for mimetic systems of biological processes (e.g. catalysed by peroxidases, particulate methanemonooxygenase, nitrile hydratases and nitrogenases), alternatives for industrial processes and new types of molecular activation with significance in fine chemistry (including the synthesis of compounds with bioactivity).
[6] Thus, he developed carboxylation of saturated hydrocarbons with carbon monoxide and persulfate anion catalyzed by various metal compounds (the Sen–Fujiwara–Pombeiro reaction).
[7] Crystal engineering of coordination compounds, self-assembly of polynuclear and supramolecular structures, transition metal and organometallic chemistries and catalysis in aqueous media, high pressure gas reactions.
Molecular electrochemistry of coordination and organic compounds, namely towards applications in electrosynthesis, electrocatalysis and in mechanistic studies, as well as in the establishment of potential-structure relationships, and in the induction of chemical reactivity by electron-transfer.