Since 1998, Prof. Vasco Bonifácio has been in the organisation of activities to promote science to general public, with special focus in young students. These included Open Labs (ITQB) Science and Technology Week (Ciência Viva), Chemistry Day (Chemistry Department, FCT/UNL) Expo FCT (FCT/UNL), European Researchers' Night and Open Laboratories (DEQ/IST). Science education has been also achieved by visits to schools. These visits aimed also the promotion of a higher participation of girls in STEM subjects, inclusion of minorities and students with special needs (deaf, blind/visually impaired).
Chemistry Lectures for Youngs
• Water...light...action! Interactive lecture for young children at Clube Ciência Viva "Cientistas de Palmo e Meio", Escola EB/JI Quinta da Cevadeira, Castanheira do Ribatejo, May 31, 2023.
• Bioengineering at the service of society, Science Fair of the IST Day, May 20, 2023.
• Virtual visit to the International Space Station, FICA 2022, Oeiras, October 10-16, 2022. Multiple sessions using the Oculus Quest VR glasses for more than 500 youngs, parents and teachers.
• Water...light...action! Interactive lecture for young children in the occasion of the inauguration of Clube Ciência Viva "Cientistas de Palmo e Meio", Escola EB Quinta S. Sebastião, Castanheira do Ribatejo, May 27, 2022.
• Mission: Ultra-freeze!, Science Fair of the IST Day, May 21, 2022.
• Why do fireflies light up? Porque brilham os pirilampos? Interactive lecture. Laboratórios Abertos 2021, online edition, February 22, 2021.
• Why do fireflies light up? Porque brilham os pirilampos? Interactive lecture for curious kids and grown ups. "Explica-me como se tivesse 5 anos" is a science divulgation project from IST-UL. Online activity, November 28, 2020.
• LASERS, LEDS and PLASMAS: The Force is in Técnico! Interactive lecture for junior high school students integrated in the Open Labs activities at IST, February 5-7, 2020. Multiple sessions for hundreds of students and their teachers.
• Chemistry...light...action! Interactive lecture for young children, Colégio O Co.cas, Alhandra, December 18, 2019.
• Elements have no frontiers. Academia de Música de Santa Cecília, Lisboa, June 5, 2019.
• Magic with light in the museum. Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Lisboa, June 1, 2019. Science Fair integrated in the World Children's Day.
• Elements have no frontiers. Escola Secundária de Carcavelos, Carcavelos, May 3, 2019.
• Elements have no frontiers. Escola Secundária Adelaide Cabette, Odivelas, April 10, 2019.
• The 118 club. Interactive lecture for junior high school students integrated in the Open Labs activities at IST, February 6-8, 2019. Special lecture for the commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table. Multiple sessions for hundreds of students and their teachers.
• Elements have no frontiers. Interactive lecture for senior high school students integrated in the Open Labs activities at IST, February 8, 2019. Special lecture for the commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table.
• Chemistry...light...action! Interactive lecture for young children, Colégio O Co.cas, Alhandra, December 10, 2018.
• Writing with light. Interactive lecture integrated in the activities of "4º Campeonato dos Jogos da Matemática da CPL", Colégio Jacob Rodrigues Pereira, Casa Pia de Lisboa, March 2, 2018. Multiple sessions for hundreds of students and their teachers.
• Writing with ligth. Interactive lecture integrated in the activities of "3º Campeonato dos Jogos da Matemática da CPL", Colégio Pina Manique, Casa Pia de Lisboa, February 17, 2017. Multiple sessions for hundreds of students and their teachers.
• The secrets of chemistry. Laboratorial experiments for deaf students, Colégio Jacob Rodrigues Pereira, Casa Pia de Lisboa, April 21, 2016. Multiple sessions for students.
• Where is chemistry?. Opening session of the school year, dedicated to Chemistry, Colégio Jacob Rodrigues Pereira, Casa Pia de Lisboa, September 3, 2015.
Science Divulgation to the General Public
• Last Element Day. Activity performed at the Lisbon subway, integrated in the commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table. Cais do Sodré station, November 20, 2019.
• Luminescent Elements Day. Activity performed at the Lisbon subway, integrated in the commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table. Alameda station, October 31, 2019.
• Radioactive Elements Day. Activity performed at the Lisbon subway, integrated in the commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table. Alameda station, July 11, 2019.
• Main-group Elements Day. Activity performed at the Lisbon subway, integrated in the commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table. Alameda station, May 24, 2019.
• Phosporous Day. Activity performed at the Lisbon subway, integrated in the commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table. Alameda station, April 30, 2019.
Chemistry Activities for Blind Students
• Detection of the equivalence point of a strong acid-base reaction by olfactory titration. The experience was specially designed (in collaboration with Dr. Florbela Pereira, FCT/UNL) to be used in a chemistry teaching lab by blind/visually impaired students. The activity poster was also presented in braille. Multiple sessions for hundreds of students and their teachers.• Lab equipment for blind/visually impaired students. Dr. Vasco Bonifácio collaborates with Dr. Cary Supalo, a blind chemist and assistant professor at illinois State University (EUA). In 2015, Dr. Supalo visited us in Lisbon and made a demonstration to chemistry students (at FCT/UNL) on how to use the Talking LabQuest, an equipment he developed [youtube demonstration vídeo].
Visit of Dr. Cary Supalo to FCT-UNL in 2015.
Pedagogic Materials and Publications in Chemical Education
• O nitrogénio vai à bola, V.D. B. Bonifácio, Laboratórios Abertos 2020, M.A. Lemos, C.G. Azevedo, D. Simão (Eds.), Departamento de Engenharia Química do Instituto Superior Técnico, ISBN: 978-989-99508-7-0, 2020.
• LASERS, LEDS e PLASMAS: A força está no Técnico, V.D. B. Bonifácio, Laboratórios Abertos 2020, M.A. Lemos, C.G. Azevedo, D. Simão (Eds.), Departamento de Engenharia Química do Instituto Superior Técnico, ISBN: 978-989-99508-7-0, 2020.
• Parece magia, mas é ciência, D. Simão, R.F. Pires, V.D. B. Bonifácio, Laboratórios Abertos 2020, M.A. Lemos, C.G. Azevedo, D. Simão (Eds.), Departamento de Engenharia Química do Instituto Superior Técnico, ISBN: 978-989-99508-7-0, 2020.
• Há química (orgânica) entre nós, D. Simão, R.F. Pires, V.D. B. Bonifácio, P. Matos, P. Ventura, Laboratórios Abertos 2020, M.A. Lemos, C.G. Azevedo, D. Simão (Eds.), Departamento de Engenharia Química do Instituto Superior Técnico, ISBN: 978-989-99508-7-0, 2020.
• Elementos sem fronteiras, V.D. B. Bonifácio, Laboratórios Abertos 2019, M.A. Lemos, C.G. Azevedo, D. Simão (Eds.), Departamento de Engenharia Química do Instituto Superior Técnico, ISBN: 978-989-99508-6-3, 2019.
• O clube dos 118, V.D. B. Bonifácio, Laboratórios Abertos 2019, M.A. Lemos, C.G. Azevedo, D. Simão (Eds.), Departamento de Engenharia Química do Instituto Superior Técnico, ISBN: 978-989-99508-6-3, 2019.
• Parece magia, mas é ciência, D. Simão, R.F. Pires, V.D.B. Bonifácio, Laboratórios Abertos 2019, M.A. Lemos, C.G. Azevedo, D. Simão (Eds.), Departamento de Engenharia Química do Instituto Superior Técnico, ISBN: 978-989-99508-6-3, 2019.
• Carbono: O elemento mais versátil da Tabela Periódica, D. Simão, H. Diogo, R.F. Pires, V.D.B. Bonifácio, Laboratórios Abertos 2019, M.A. Lemos, C.G. Azevedo, D. Simão (Eds.), Departamento de Engenharia Química do Instituto Superior Técnico, ISBN: 978-989-99508-6-3, 2019.
• Parece magia mas é ciência, Laboratórios Abertos 2018, M. A. Lemos, C. G. Azevedo, D. Simão (Eds.), Departamento de Engenharia Química do Instituto Superior Técnico, ISBN: 978-989-99508-5-6, 2018.
• Experiências com luz, Laboratórios Abertos 2017, M. A. Lemos, C. G. Azevedo, D. Simão (Eds.), Departamento de Engenharia Química do Instituto Superior Técnico, ISBN: 978-989-99508-4-9, 2017.
• 40 Years of chemistry divulgation in Portugal, V.D.B. Bonifácio, Química SPQ, 2017, 145, 67.
• 2D spatial audio in a molecular navigator/editor for blind and visually impaired users, I. Rodrigues, R. Teixeira, S. Cavaco, V.D.B. Bonifácio, D. Peixoto, Y. Binev, F. Pereira, A.M. Lobo, J. Aires-de-Sousa, Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Digital Audio Effects 2017 - DAFx 2017, 360-366, 2017.
• Hell's chemistry - Química kamikaze, V.D.B. Bonifácio, Química SPQ, 2016, 142, 11.
• Teaching chemistry with chess codes - A química em código(s), V.D.B. Bonifácio, Química SPQ, 2015, 136, 59.
• Química, tablets e telemóveis inteligentes: Prémios Nobel da química 1901-2011 em código QR, V.D.B. Bonifácio, Química SPQ, 2014, 132, 59.
• Molecular editor for blind and visually impaired students. The software NavMol was developed under the ICT Project (FCT/UNL) and is a molecular editor for blind and visually impaired. Users can interface with the program via the keyboard and text-to-speech software, or Braille hardware. NavMol enables the user to navigate the molecules atom-by-atom, providing information about neighbours of each atom and bond types. It also allows structures to be changed by adding or deleting atoms and bonds. Information about Navmol can be found in the MOLINSIGHT web portal, 2013.
• QR-coded Poster of Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, 2013.
• Sonified infrared spectra and their Interpretation by blind and visually impaired students, F. Pereira, J.C. Ponte-e-Sousa, R.P.S. Fartaria, V.D.B. Bonifácio, P. Mata, J. Aires-de-Sousa, A.M. Lobo, J. Chem. Educ. 2013, 90, 1028.
• NavMol 2.0: A molecular structure navigator/editor for blind and visually impaired users, R.P.S. Fartaria, F. Pereira, V.D.B. Bonifácio, P. Mata, J. Aires-de-Sousa, A.M. Lobo, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2013, 1415.
• Offering QR-code access to information on Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, 1901?2011, V.D.B. Bonifácio, J. Chem. Educ. 2013, 90, 1401.
• Audio Periodic Table of the Elements. Especially designed for blind/visually impaired students, the QR-coded audio periodic table of the elements enables teaching chemistry using a mobile-learning platform, 2012.
• Periodic Table of the Elements - Portuguese version. Co-edition of an academic version of the Periodic Table of the Elements in Portuguese. A copy of this Periodic Table was sent to all high schools of Portugal, 2012.
• Ensinar química com telemóveis inteligentes: A tabela periódica em código QR, V.D.B. Bonifácio, Química SPQ, 2012, 127, 71.
• QR coded audio periodic table: A mobile-learning tool, V.D.B. Bonifácio, J. Chem. Educ. 2012, 89, 552.
• MOLinsight: A web portal for the processing of molecular structures by blind students, F. Pereira, J. Aires de Sousa, V.D.B. Bonifácio, P. Mata, A.M. Lobo, J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 361.
Audio Periodic Table, Portuguese version of the Periodic Table and Vasco Bonifácio with Robert Huber, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, next to his QR-coded Poster of Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, hold at FCT/UNL Chemistry Department hall .
Invited Oral Communications in Chemical Education
• Teaching organic chemistry using virtual reality, V.D.B. Bonifácio, International Conference on Intelligent Systems & Pattern Recognition (ISPR 2023), Hammamet, Tunisia, May 12, 2023.A brief history of the periodic table, V.D.B. Bonifácio, IST/UL, Lisbon, Portugal, March 6, 2019.
• I love QR, V.D.B. Bonifácio, "Ciência h(á) uma" Lectures, Library FCT/UNL, Lisbon, Portugal, March 13, 2012.
• I love QR, V.D.B. Bonifácio, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lisbon, Portugal, March 23, 2012.
• Gamification for chemical education: Playing with chess codes, 23rd IUPAC International Conference on Chemistry Education (ICCE 2014), V.D.B. Bonifácio, Toronto, Canada, July 11-18, 2014.
TV and Radio Interviews
• TV show Mais Saúde, Saúde+ channel. In this interview, Vasco Bonifácio talks about the project OSTEOGLUTIS and his research on novel multiple myeloma therapeutics. 2019. [video]• TV show Com Ciência, RTP 2 channel. In this interview by journalist Vasco Trigo, Vasco Bonifácio talks about the QR-coded audio periodic table and its impact on teaching chemistry to blinds using a mobile-learning platform. 2012. [video]
• TV show Com Ciência, RTP 2 channel. In this interview by journalist Vasco Trigo, Vasco Bonifácio shows his latest research on dendrimers chemistry and its impact on polymer therapeutics. 2012. [video]
• Radio show Só neste País, Antena 1 broadcast. Vasco Bonifácio was interviewed by journalist Sandra Henriques and talked about the chemistry of soap bubbles, in the context of the Euro 2016 football competition. In the Physical-Chemistry lab at IST, we prepared explosive soap bubbles! using the recipe of Prof. Berberan-Santos and Prof. Clementina Teixeira. 2016. [audio]
Journals & Magazines Interviews
• Medical Magazine Oncologia e Hematologia. Interview about career and the wining prize Bolsa de Investigação em Mieloma Múltiplo 2019. “O potencial da diferenciação osteogénica no tratamento do mieloma múltiplo”. Oncologia e Hematologia, 2019, 27(9), 4-7.• Magazine Sábado. Interview about the wining prize Bolsa de Investigação em Mieloma Múltiplo 2019. "Cientistas portugueses estudam tratamento para cancro que mata 600 doentes por ano". 28.07.2019.
• Newpaper Jornal i. Interview about the wining prize Bolsa de Investigação em Mieloma Múltiplo 2019. "Pensar fora da caixa para combater o mieloma múltiplo". 27.06.2019.
• Newpaper Jornal de Notícias. Intrerview for the opinion article "Talões e faturas colocam saúde em risco", which alerts to the dangers of frequent handling of tickets and receipts printed with inks containing bisphenol A. 10.03.2019.
• Science Magazine Super Interessante. Interview for the opinion article "Química Verde - Novo Paradigma Industrial". In this article, totally dedicated to the advances in Green Chemistry in Portugal, Dr. Vasco Bonifácio talks about the advantages of using supercritical carbon dioxide as an alternative solvent, and his project Just in Time Dendrimers. January 2012.