Main research interests: chemistry and properties of melanins and of bio-inspired functional materials as interfaces for applications in the fields of biomedicine, optoelectronics and organic bioelectronics; mechanisms of underwater adhesion; chemistry of catechols and quinones of natural origin in relation to the development of functional systems; chemistry of catecholamines in relation to the mechanisms of neuronal toxicity and degeneration; mechanism of action of phenolic antioxidants and antinitrosating agents; properties and reactivity of heterocyclic compounds; oxidation, nitrosation and nitration of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and other biomolecules in relation to the mechanisms of cell damage induced by oxidative stress; the chemistry and the biological role of bioactive natural substances containing sulfur and heterocyclic compounds; organic reactions and model processes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and derivatives of astrochemical and astrobiological relevance.