For some years he lived in Macau and Hong Kong, where he founded his own pharmacy.

Through these years he taught and was active in research, especially in the field of organic chemistry.

Among his students was chemist Charles Lepierre, who settled in 1888 at his suggestion in Portugal.

[3] A street is named in his honor in São Domingos de Benfica, in Lisbon.

The plaque reads in Portuguese, it is translated into English as "Here Roberto Duarte Silva was born, notable Cape Verdean chemist, 1837-1889".