From Micro to Nano: Heterogeneous Catalysis

Dear Colleagues,

Substantial advances in technology have vastly increased our ability to identify objects at the nanoscale. This advance is a process that began with the development of micro-species identification in the nineteenth century, through the ability to identify nanospecies via the invention in the last century of the electron microscope. Besides the established techniques of electron microscopy, newer diffraction methods and spectroscopic tools and scanning probe microscopies have provided powerful means of studying nanostructures.

In parallel to the development of instruments for identification, there has been a development of our capacity to synthesize, organize, and tailor-make materials at the nanoscale level. Novel chemistry has been generated by the employment of nanoparticles with a variety of nanostructures.

These processes have brought us to the ‘nanoworld’ that Richard Feynman in 1959 spoke of when he said, “There’s plenty of room at the bottom”. Steadily since then, processes have been developed that use nanospecies and occur at the nanoscale. Among the variety of uses, nanospecies have significant and vital roles to play as catalysts in heterogeneous processes. There are many direct applications, such as alternative energy and waste treatment systems.

Because of the importance of this field and the increasing appreciation of its significance in diverse fields, we think that there is much to share. Our community would like to know about processes that were improved by using nanospecies or nanotechnology, especially catalytic processes.

Accordingly, we will be publishing a Special Issue on the subject, “From Micro to Nano: Heterogeneous Catalysis”. We invite each of you, as experts in this field, to publish your research and become a partner in the development of a “nanoworld-catalysis”. This Special Issue will collect communications, articles, and reviews which are at the leading edge of our field’s emerging technology and science.

Dr. Burg Ariela
Dr. Jonathan Albo
Guest Editors

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• heterogeneous catalysis
• nanospecies
• nanotechnology