There is an increasing challenge for chemical industry and research institutions to find cost-efficient and environmentally sound methods of converting natural resources into fuels chemicals and energy. Catalysts are essential to these processes and the Catalysis Specialist Periodical Report series serves to highlight major developments in this area. This series provides systematic and detailed reviews of topics of interest to scientists and engineers in the catalysis field. The coverage includes all major areas of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis and also specific applications of catalysis such as NOx control kinetics and experimental techniques such as microcalorimetry. Each chapter is compiled by recognised experts within their specialist fields and provides a summary of the current literature. This series will be of interest to all those in academia and industry who need an up-to-date critical analysis and summary of catalysis research and applications. Catalysis will be of interest to anyone working in academia and industry that needs an up-to-date critical analysis and summary of catalysis research and applications. Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage in major areas of chemical research. Compiled by teams of leading experts in their specialist fields, this series is designed to help the chemistry community keep current with the latest developments in their field. Each volume in the series is published either annually or biennially and is a superb reference point for researchers. www.rsc.org/spr

As we are moving ahead into the 21st century, our hunger for cost effective and environmentally friendly energy continues to grow. The Energy Information Administration of US has forecasted that only in the first two decades of the 21st century, our energy demand will increase by 60% compared to the levels at the end of the 20th century. Fossil fuels have been traditionally the major primary energy sources worldwide, and their role is expected to continue growing for the forecasted period, due to their inherent cost competitiveness compared to non-fossil fuel energy sources. However, the current fossil energy scenario is undergoing significant transformations, especially to accommodate increasingly stringent environmental challenges of contaminants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides or mercury, while still providing affordable energy. Furthermore, traditional fossil fuel utilization is inherently plagued with greenhouse gas emissions from combustion, especially carbon dioxide from stationary sources as well as from mobile sources. Should worldwide government policies dictate a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, such as proposed by the Kyoto Protocol and the implementation of carbon taxes, fossil fuels would lose their significant competitive appeal in favor of nuclear energy and renewable energy sources. However, the current non-fossil fuel energy share of the worldwide energy market is merely below 15%, and therefore, it is more likely that fossil fuel energy producers would adapt to the new requirements by developing and implementing emission control technologies, and emission trades among other strategies."

As we are moving ahead into the 21st century, our hunger for cost effective and environmentally friendly energy continues to grow. The Energy Information Administration of US has forecasted that only in the first two decades of the 21st century, our energy demand will increase by 60% compared to the levels at the end of the 20th century. Fossil fuels have been traditionally the major primary energy sources worldwide, and their role is expected to continue growing for the forecasted period, due to their inherent cost competitiveness compared to non-fossil fuel energy sources. However, the current fossil energy scenario is undergoing significant transformations, especially to accommodate increasingly stringent environmental challenges of contaminants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides or mercury, while still providing affordable energy. Furthermore, traditional fossil fuel utilization is inherently plagued with greenhouse gas emissions from combustion, especially carbon dioxide from stationary sources as well as from mobile sources. Should worldwide government policies dictate a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, such as proposed by the Kyoto Protocol and the implementation of carbon taxes, fossil fuels would lose their significant competitive appeal in favor of nuclear energy and renewable energy sources. However, the current non-fossil fuel energy share of the worldwide energy market is merely below 15%, and therefore, it is more likely that fossil fuel energy producers would adapt to the new requirements by developing and implementing emission control technologies, and emission trades among other strategies."

Advances in Catalysis, Volume 67, fills the gap between journal papers and textbooks across the diverse areas of catalysis research. For more than 60 years, this series has dedicated itself to record and present the latest progress in the field of catalysis, providing the scientific community with comprehensive and authoritative reviews. This series is an invaluable and comprehensive resource for chemical engineers and chemists working in the field of catalysis in both academia and industry, with this release focusing on solid acids, surface acidity and heterogeneous acid catalysis.

Advances in Catalysis, Volume 66, fills the gap between journal papers and textbooks across the diverse areas of catalysis research. For more than 60 years, this series has dedicated itself to record and present the latest progress in the field of catalysis, providing the scientific community with comprehensive and authoritative reviews. This series is an invaluable and comprehensive resource for chemical engineers and chemists working in the field of catalysis in both academia and industry.

Advances in Catalysis, Volume 65, fills the gap between journal papers and textbooks across the diverse areas of catalysis research. For more than 60 years, this series has dedicated itself to record and present the latest progress in the field of catalysis, providing the scientific community with comprehensive and authoritative reviews. This series is an invaluable and comprehensive resource for chemical engineers and chemists working in the field of catalysis in both academia and industry.

Advances in Catalysis, Volume 64, fills the gap between journal papers and textbooks across the diverse areas of catalysis research. For more than 60 years, this series has dedicated itself to record and present the latest progress in the field of catalysis, thus providing the scientific community with comprehensive and authoritative reviews. This series is an invaluable and comprehensive resource for chemical engineers and chemists working in the field of catalysis in both academia and industry.