Pedro Teixeira Gomes, a professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, and a researcher at Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE), was honoured by the Portuguese Chemical Society (SPQ) with the Alberto Romão Dias Prize 2026. The biennial award ceremony took place on 10 April at a conference of the SPQ’s Division of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry. “I see this prize as a recognition that is, to a large extent, shared. At the same time, it is an incentive to remain committed to research, particularly in writing up and disseminating the results achieved”, explains the Técnico professor.
The Alberto Romão Dias Prize recognises “consistent” scientific careers and “contributes to promoting national research” in the field of Chemistry. According to the professor, the prize carries “added personal significance”, as it “evokes a remarkable professor from Instituto Superior Técnico”, who would become his PhD supervisor. “He influenced and motivated many generations of students, including myself”, he emphasises.
Pedro Teixeira Gomes’ research seeks to understand how to design “ligands” (ions or molecules that bind to a central metal atom) and “the resulting coordination and organometallic complexes with tunable and well-controlled properties”. This research is, “among other aspects”, applied to the development of new catalysts, the creation of materials with luminescent properties (such as OLEDs – Organic Light Emitting Diodes) and magnetic materials exhibiting SMM (Single-Molecule Magnet) behaviour.
“More than the results themselves”, the professor hopes that the work carried out will “contribute to opening up new perspectives, generating ideas and inspiring others to explore similar or even completely different paths”. Having had the “privilege” of working with “excellent students, postdoctoral researchers and colleagues”, he shares this recognition with the scientific community. “I must also thank the institutional support from Técnico, and in particular from the CQE, as well as the SPQ and everyone who contributed, directly or indirectly, to this distinction”, concludes the professor, also reinforcing the idea that “science is always a collective effort”.
