1. Development of sol-gel materials and other non-crystalline solids: luminescent sol-gel materials and sol-gel materials for electrochromic devices.
2. Physical properties and applications of functionalized ionic liquids: Photoluminescence and Ionic liquids as new solvents for restoration of stained glass.
3. Photochromism and thermochromism of synthetic dyes from natural compounds such as anthocyanines.
1. "Dynamic light scattering study of AOT microemulsions with nonaqueous polar additives in an oil continuous phase", C.A.T. Laia, P. Lopez-Cornejo, S.M.B. Costa, J. d’Oliveira, J.M.G. Martinho, Langmuir 14 (1998) 3531.
2. "Rotational friction in AOT microemulsions: relevance of hydrodynamic and dielectric contribution to microviscosities probed by fluorescent bis[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl] squaraine", C.A.T. Laia, S.M.B. Costa, Langmuir 18 (2002) 1494.
3. "Photochromism of 7-(N,N-diethylamino)-4-hydroxyflavylium in a water–ionic liquid biphasic system", F. Pina, A.J. Parola, M.J. Melo, C.A.T. Laia, C.A.M. Afonso, Chem. Comm. (2007) 1608-1610.
4. "Efficient photochromism from the network of chemical reactions of 7,4 '-dihydroxyflavylium in CTAB micelles", R. Gomes, A.J. Parola, C.A.T. Laia, F. Pina, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 6 (2007) 1003-1009.
5. “Photochromism of 4’,7-dihydroxyflavylium in a AOT reversed micelle system”, V. Petrov, C.A.T. Laia, F. Pina, Langmuir, 25 (2009) 594.
6. “Formation of a leuco Spirolactone from 4-(2-Carboxyphenyl)-7-diethylamino-4’-dimethylamino-1-benzopyrylium: Design of a Phase-Change Thermochromic System Based on a Flavylium Dye”, R. Gavara, C.A.T. Laia, A.J. Parola and F. Pina, Chem. Eur. J. 16 (2010) 7760.
7. “Formation of Eu(III) Nanoparticles on Borosilicate Sol-Gel Studied with Time-Resolved Luminescence Techniques” M. Ventura, C.A.T. Laia, A.J. Parola, J Phys Chem C 114 (2010) 18414-18422.
8. "Chemistry and applications of flavylium compounds: a handful of colours" F. Pina, M.J. Melo, C.A.T. Laia, A.J. Parola and J.C. Lima, Chem Soc Rev (2011) DOI: 10.1039/c1cs15126f.