[1] Martin is also known for coining the term synthome, which is defined as the set of all reactions available to the chemist for the synthesis of small molecules".

In the former, his focus lies in the development of new strategies and tactics and their application to the concise syntheses of a wide variety of complex natural products, including alkaloids, C-aryl glycosides, and polyketides that exhibit useful biological activities.

In the area of bioorganic chemistry he is investigating the design and synthesis of novel peptidomimetics as well as other small molecules for use as molecular probes to study energetics, dynamics, and function in protein-ligand interactions.

He has delivered numerous invited lectures at national and international meetings, academic institutions, and industrial companies, and he has published over 250 scientific papers in primary journals together with several reviews and articles in books.

He is also co-author of the popular undergraduate laboratory book Experimental Organic Chemistry: A Miniscale and Microscale Approach.