Chris Franco is a collaborating researcher at the Center of Structural Chemistry (CQE), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon (IST/ULisboa, Portugal). He earned his BSc in Chemistry (2011), MSc in Physical Chemistry (2014), and PhD in Chemistry (2018) at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF, Brazil), where he also served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry (2018–2020). From 2021 to 2024, he was an Auxiliary Researcher at IST-ID/CQE, and is a co-founder of MINDlab. In 2024, he held a Visiting Professor position at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC, São Paulo, Brazil), focusing on advancements in Nanoscience and Quantum Physics.
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38 scientific papers (h-index 10, WoS/Scopus); 5 book chapters;
6 workshops covering various topics in Physical Chemistry;
5 scientific dissemination activities;
1 patent;
Over 30 conference abstracts;
8 invited talks and lectures at international conferences and universities;
Supervision/co-supervision of 15 students and researchers (Postdocs, PhD, MSc, BSc);
Participation in 12 projects and grants as PI, Co-PI, and Co-Investigator (Co-I);
~70 New Crystal Structures Published (Cambridge Struct. Database).
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Current Research Focuses on the intersection of Coordination Chemistry, Crystal Engineering, and Bioinorganic Chemistry, with a strong focus on structural characterization and functional materials. He has extensive experience in solid-state characterization methods, including single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, as well as in the development of advanced materials using techniques such as infrared and Raman spectroscopy, GC-MS, and gas adsorption analysis (B.E.T.). His work integrates the design of metal-based coordination compounds, supramolecular assemblies, and coordination polymers/MOFs with studies of structure–activity relationships, guiding the development of catalysts for biomass and other chemical transformations, antimicrobial agents, and advanced solid-state materials.
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2018-2025: Assistant and Visiting Professor positions at national and international universities (Brazil, Portugal, Poland), with over 1,500 hours of teaching experience;
2024-2025: Research featured on seven scientific journal covers;
2022: Best Poster Award, 13th Inorganic & Bioinorganic Chemistry Conference, Portugal;
