The proceedings of the VIIth International Symposium on the Scientific Bases for the Preparation of Heterogeneous Catalysts, are in line with the general scope of this series of events. Emphasis in all Symposia has been on the scientific aspects of the preparation of new and industrial catalysts, or on new methods of preparation, rather than on the catalytic reactions in which such solids are ultimately used. In the present context, the catalytic event itself has only been considered as another, though often decisive, method of catalyst characterization.

"Spillover and Mobility of Species and Solid Surfaces" collects the papers which were presented at the Fifth International Conference Spillover, either as oral or poster contributions, as well as the summaries of the invited lectures. This congress and its publication in the Studies on Surface Science and Catalysis series follow the tradition of previous conferences on spillover, initiated in Lyon, 1983, and continued in Leipzig, 1989, Kyoto 1993 and Dalian, 1997. For the fifth conference, held in S.L. el Escorial (Madrid), the organising committee has attempted to compile representative contributions which illustrate the advances in understanding the spillover phenomenon since 1997. Spillover is a process taking place during the interface of gas reactant molecules (mainly hydrogen and oxygen) on solid surfaces. However, different contributions to the more general area of the chemistry at surfaces, related with the mobility and migration of species, diffusion through membranes, fuel cell catalysts, etc., have also been included. In fact the title of the present volume summarizes this attempt to extend the conference topics towards dynamics at surfaces.Among the 70 contributions received, the 56 accepted papers were selected on the basis of the reports of at least two international reviewers, according to standards comparable to those applied for other specialised journals. These papers are from 21 different countries.

This unique book covers the latest surface science studies on model catalysts, including single crystals, non-colloidal nanocatalysts, and nanoparticles in various forms with the control of size, shape and composition. This book addresses the issue of bridging “materials and pressure gaps” and also discusses the important issue of metal-oxide interface and hot electron flows in heterogeneous catalysis. The current development of in-situ surface techniques that is relevant to bridging “pressure gaps” is also highlighted.

It has become a tradition that every four years, the Université Catholique de Louvain and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven jointly organize a symposium devoted to the scientific bases for the preparation of heterogeneous catalysts. These meetings bring together researchers from academia and industry and offer a forum for discussions on the chemistry involved in the preparation of industrial heterogeneous catalysts. This volume containing the Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Scientific Bases for the Preparation of Heterogeneous Catalysts consists of papers summarizing most of the 139 oral communications and posters selected by the international scientific committee, composed of 27 experts in the field of catalyst preparation, holding an industrial or academia appointment. The contributions focus on the aspects of catalyst preparation. The main topics are: new approaches in catalyst preparation; advanced preparations of nanoporous and mesoporous catalysts; catalysts preparation for special performances and purposes; catalysts for environmental purposes; and molecular catalysis. Emphasis is put on the role that catalysis can play as an essential element of sustainable development.

Many processes of the chemical industry are based upon heterogeneous catalysis. Two important items of these processes are the development of the catalyst itself and the design and optimization of the reactor. Both aspects would benefit from rigorous and accurate kinetic modeling, based upon information on the working catalyst gained from classical steady state experimentation, but also from studies using surface science techniques, from quantum chemical calculations providing more insight into possible reaction pathways and from transient experimentation dealing with reactions and reactors. This information is seldom combined into a kinetic model and into a quantitative description of the process. Generally the catalytic aspects are dealt with by chemists and by physicists, while the chemical engineers are called upon for mechanical aspects of the reactor design and its control. The symposium "Dynamics of Surfaces and Reaction Kinetics in Heterogeneous Catalysis" aims at illustrating a more global and concerted approach through a number of prestigious keynote lectures and severely screened oral and poster presentations.

This volume contains peer-reviewed manuscripts describing the scientific and technological advances presented at the 6th Natural Gas Conversion Sumposium held in Alaska in June 2001. This symposium continues the tradition of excellence and the status as the premier technical meeting in this area established by previous meetings. The 6th Natural Gas Conversion Symposium is conducted under the overall direction of the Organizing Committee. The Program Committee was responsible for the review, selection, editing of most of the manuscripts included in this volum. A standing International Advisory Board has ensured the effective long-term planning and the continuity and technical excellence of these meetings.

Nanoporous Materials III contains the invited lectures and peer-reviewed oral and poster contributions to be presented at the 3rd Conference on Nanoporous Materials, which will be hosted in Ottawa, Canada, June 2002. The work covers complementary approaches to and recent advances in the field of nanostructured materials with pore sizes larger than 1nm, such as periodic mesoporous molecular sieves M41S and FSM16 and related materials including clays, carbon molecular sieves, colloidal crystal templated organic and inorganic materials, porous polymers and sol gels. The broad range of topics covered in relation to the synthesis and characterization of ordered mesoporous materials are of great importance for advanced adsorption, catalytic and separation processes as well as the development of nanotechnology. The contents of this title are based on topics to be discussed by invited lecturers, which deal with periodic mesoporous organosilicas, stability and catalytic activity of aluminosilicate mesostructures, electron microscopy studies of ordered materials, imprinted polymers and highly porous metal-organic frameworks. The other contributions deal with tailoring the surface and structural properties of nanoporous materials, giving a detailed characterization as well as demonstrating their usefulness for advanced adsorption and catalytic applications.