1. Desenvolvimento de materiais sol-gel e outros sólidos não-cristalinos: materiais luminescentes e materiais sol-gel para aplicações em dispositivos electrocrómicos.
2. Propriedades físicas e aplicações de líquidos iónicos funcionalizados.
3. Fotoquímica e termocromismo de corantes sintéticos derivados de antocianinas.
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.