Solid Acids and Bases: Their Catalytic Properties reviews developments in the studies of acidic and basic properties of solids, including the efficacy and special characteristics of solid acid and base catalysts. This book discusses the determination of basic and acidic properties on solid surfaces and relationship between acid strength and acid amount. The structure and acid-base properties of mixed metal oxides and correlation between acid-base properties and catalytic activity and selectivity are also deliberated. This publication is useful to professional chemists and graduate students in the fields of organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, petroleum chemistry and catalysis, including readers interested in the acidic and basic properties on solid surfaces.

This volume summarises and reviews the enormous progress made over the past two decades in solid acids and bases, with emphasis on fundamental aspects and chemical principles. In recent years many new kinds of solid acids and bases have been found and synthesized. The surface properties (in particular, acidic and basic properties) and the structures of the new solids have been clarified by newly developed measurement methods using modern instruments and techniques. The characterized solid acids and bases have been applied as catalysts for diversified reactions, many good correlations being obtained between the acid-base properties and the catalytic activities or selectivities. Recently, acid-base bifunctional catalysis on solid surfaces is becoming a more and more important and intriguing field of study.It has been recognized that the acidic and basic properties of catalysts and catalyst supports play an important role in oxidation, reduction, hydrogenation, hydrocracking, etc. The effect of the preparation method and the pretreatment conditions of solid acids and bases on the acidic and basic properties, the nature of acidic and basic sites and the mechanism regarding the generation of acidity and basicity have been elucidated experimentally and theoretically. On the basis of the accumulated knowledge of solid acids and bases, it is now possible to design and develop highly active and selective solid acid and base catalysts for particular reactions. The chemistry of solid acids and bases is now being related to and utilized in numerous areas including adsorbents, sensors, cosmetics, fuel cells, sensitized pressed papers, and others. The information presented in this book will therefore be of interest to a wide-ranging readership.

Historically, technological developments that have made use of the acidity/basicity of solids have often preceded an understanding of the phenomena involved. This, of course, is very expensive, and a far less efficient process than research based on a fundamental understanding of the science. For the last 50 years, therefore, a vast amount of research has been devoted to the subject: the rewards, in terms of technological advantage, were seen to be high.

Because of the great importance of acid catalysis in the petrochemical industry, extensive research has been carried out during the last 30 years concerning the fundamental and applied aspects of catalysis by acids. In contrast, base-catalyzed reactions have received little attention in heterogeneous catalysis. The aim of this symposium was to evaluate our knowledge of the important area of acid and base catalysis and to cover a broad range of solids, zeolite chemistry being only one aspect of heterogeneous catalysis.

Solids that possess acidic properties on their surfaces function as catalysts just like liquid acids, such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid. By using solid acid catalysts, chemical processes become more productive and more environmentally friendly. In fact, solid acids are being used in many industrial chemical processes from the largest chem