Gas-phase behaviour of organometallic complexes and their interactions with bio-molecules

This is a relatively new line of research for me and it marks my entrance on the world of BIG molecules. Early this year, due to a collaboration with Tânia S. Morais of the Organometallic Chemistry Group of CCMM, I started to study the interactions between organmetallic complexes and model proteins (e.g. ubiquitin and cytochrome C) by means of electrospray mass spectrometry.

Determination of thermochemical properties using the Kinetic Method

The gas-phase thermochemistry bug is still pretty much present. Since 2006 I use the Cooks kinetic method to determine gas-phase thermochemical properties of a wide variety of molecules. Currently I'm implementing the extended kinetic method on our old LCQ-Duo ion trap mass spectrometer.

Application of theoretical methodologies (semi-empirical and DFT) to mass spectrometry

In the final year of my PhD work I came into contact with the application of theoretical calculations in mass spectrometry specific problems (from protonation sites to the fragmentation pathway energetics..

Fundamental aspects of ionization techniques (MALDI and ESI)

During my PhD work, me and Dr. Ana Luísa Castro, developed the application of TiO2 as MALDI matrix to analyze small molecules. The main work has been published in Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, nevertheless there are a few questions on the formation of radical ions that will address in a near future.

Mass spectrometric approaches to structural characterization

Mass spectrometry has long been used as a tool to determine the structure of unknown compounds. During my PhD I used mass spectrometry to distinguish isomers of lactones linked and fused to sugars and also to distinguish isoflavone isomers.