Contemporary Catalysis

The title of Professor Ross’ second book couldn’t be more appropriate. With the contours of the Energy Transition taking shape, the field of catalysis will also transition in the decade(s) to come. Conventional catalytic processes surely continue to be of importance for a long time, especially as they contribute to ever increasing energy efficient processes. But, in addition, new applications will need to be developed for the alternative fuels arena. In the book a number of these contemporary examples are presented and discussed to bring the interested student up to speed, not only with solid knowledge of the concepts but also where and how this knowledge can be applied today and in the future.
The first edition of this book, Heterogeneous Catalysis – Fundamentals and Applications, served as the textbook for our (elective) undergrad course on Industrial Catalysis. As there are hardly any industrial processes involving chemical conversion not using catalysts, either homogeneous or heterogeneous, the field is a thriving area for research and development. One of the beauties, in my humble view, is the usually short track to commercial implementation. Competition is fierce and continuous improvements of the offerings are a prerequisite to stay in business for many companies. This implies that there is always a need for better, that is more active, selective, more stable and cheaper catalysts. Consequently there is a continued demand for catalysis research and development and thus for scientists and engineers well educated in the area.
To initiate students in this domain a lot of bases need to be covered to end a course with a solid appreciation of the field. The area of catalysis is ever expanding, new techniques are added to the toolbox regularly and theoretical understanding of the basic principles is developed further and further. In my view this demands teaching on the fundamental concepts, testing of catalysts at various scales, preparation of materials, understanding the analytical tools available to work with catalysts and obviously the practical applications on an industrial scale.
Prof Ross’ first book covered most of these topics, which explains our initial choice. In the new book he has added a significant number of useful new tasks for the students to go after information and analyze it. However, some of these seem a bit on the elaborate side viz. 15.1: Legislation Concerning Biomass as a Source of Energy: Carry out a web search regarding the specific requirements of different countries in relation to the supply of energy from biomass; include your own country in the search. How many of these also mention the supply of chemicals from biomass? Most of our students using the first book felt challenged by these Tasks in general to go out and find the material requested. Of course it is up to the instructor to select what Tasks help best to understand the text.
The main body of text has been expanded significantly: the first book contained 8 chapters covering 217 pages, the second book contains 15 chapters covering 373 pages. A new chapter was added on Catalyst Characterization. The second part of the book, largely new material, deals with current applications (CO2 and Energy, Production of Energy Carriers (such as hydrogen and syn-gas), Environmental Catalysis and a Chapter on the role of catalysts in biomass conversion.
The book also has some charming flavor of memoirs as to how the author matured scientifically with the development of the field of catalysis over the years, viz. Chapter 1.4. This may appeal less to a young audience but for seniors in the field like myself it is interesting and quite recognizable.
A part that I particularly liked was the last Appendix on “The Use of Catalysis Literature”. This part is especially helpful for those who want to become active in catalysis research and subsequent publishing of the results.
A small blot on the first book was the apparent rush to bring it to the market which resulted in some typos not being eradicated before printing. The second book is luckily devoid of these small errors. The set-up has remained the same, which is a good thing. The concept was tested and proven to work.
Professor Ross has done a wonderful job reworking the first version thoroughly, clarifying concepts even more and adding more examples of catalytic processes. All in all this book is an up to date reference text that will help students and instructors to delve into the field of heterogeneous catalysis thoroughly. Whole heartedly recommended.

It is a great pleasure for me to read the much expanded version of Julian Ross’s book. The first version of this book was entitled “Heterogeneous Catalysis: Fundamentals and Applications” and was published in 2011. When it was published, we found the book was designed and written in an inspiring manner. In its eight chapters, each of limited length, the basic concepts of catalysis, kinetics and physics of catalytic reactions and the measurement, of rates and catalyst characterization, were introduced perfectly. The book outlined the theory, together with historical and future perspectives, from the point of the view of a senior scientist who has had a continuous and long career as a professor of chemical technology. The first book also explored links to the literature and highlighted the use of modern search engines. To introduce some important facts and concepts and to reduce the need of page space, the book used pop-up boxes to insert very relevant contents such as mechanisms and the deduction of equations. Combined with the pop-up tasks for homework inserted throughout the text, these effectively facilitate memory and understanding for young colleagues. We found that the book was very valuable when used as the textbook for courses on applied catalysis in engineering schools. We thus organized to translate it into Chinese and the Chinese version was published by Chemical Industry Press in China in 2015. Both the English and Chinese versions have been well accepted by colleagues worldwide. Both the versions are now used as the standard text book in a number of Chinese universities. (Quite a number of Chinese universities are using English text books in parallel to those still using Chinese books.) When I moved to Aalto University in Finland In 2017, I was pleased to find that my colleague here was also using this book as the teaching textbook.
In the light of my experience with the first book, I was very pleased to learn of the new expanded version: “Contemporary Catalysis: Fundamentals and Current Applications”. Julian has extended the original Chapter 8 into seven separate chapters, each covering an individual topic:“CO2 and Energy”, “Catalysis in the Production of Energy Carriers from Oil”, “Production of Hydrogen and Syngas from Methane and Some Other Reactions of Methane”, “Catalytic Reactions Involving Syngas, Hydrogen, or Carbon Monoxide for the Production of Intermediates and Chemicals”, “Environmental Catalysis”, “Conversion of Hydrocarbons to Intermediates by Catalytic Hydrogenation and Oxidation Routes” and “Catalysis in Biomass”. In these extended chapters, I have found that the author gives brief but expert views of each topic; he has worked and made important contributions to almost all of these during his active and successful career as a researcher and educator in catalysis. I have also found significant changes and improvements in the first eight chapters. In the new book, “Catalyst Characterization” and “Mass and Heat Transfer Limitations and Other Aspects of the use of Large-Scale Catalytic Reactors” become independent chapters. Overall, the new book maintains the style of ease of learning of the first book, encouraging the reader to remain active and fresh, and leads its readers to comprehend the practical scenery of catalysis in modern life and industry.
Although I have become a full professor in a European university, I am determined to organize the translation of this second book into Chinese. I will use the book in my own teaching and will also definitely recommend it to my young colleagues. I believe that the new edition will be very well accepted by the catalysis community worldwide. My congratulations to Professor Julian Ross for this great and new achievement.

Quite often, when reviewing a paper, we have to answer the question "Does the title adequately reflect the manuscript's contents?". Well, in this case, it totally does!
This book by Prof. Julian Ross is indeed about Contemporary Catalysis as it deals with the main aspects of nowadays catalysis, ranging from the basics, like explanation on what is a catalyst and how it works, preparation of the major types of catalysts and their characterisation, to more complex subjects, such as catalytic reactions, measurement of catalytic activity, kinetics, mechanisms, mass and heat transfer limitations. It also fully covers all main aspects of current applications of heterogeneous catalysis like energy production, environmental catalysis (including NOx, VOC and car exhaust gases conversion), hydrocarbon selective hydrogenation and oxidation and biomass conversion. A whole range of catalysts are covered, including my "favourite": gold-based materials.
The book contains very nice illustrations and is written in a very easy to understand language, by a talented writer and prominent scientist, in a way that totally captures the reader's attention and makes him/her want to keep reading and learning more on the subject. It is also largely based largely on literature accessible through internet, which is quite appealing, as it definitively shows how much it is updated and indeed contemporary, as the title rightly states. It also contains several tasks dealing with literature studies and some further guidance on the use of Scopus and similar databases, which will surely be of great help for students.
Contemporary Catalysis is the result of a whole lifetime dedicated to catalysis and a product of extensive experience of the author in the field. The final outcome could only be a masterpiece, which now all chemists and chemical engineers, beginners or not, can have access to. I am sure it will be of great help for lecturers, researchers, students and other people interested on the subject, around the world, the same way it will be for me!
Sónia Carabineiro
University of Lisbon, Portugal

Catalysis was in its infancy in my student days and there was imperfect awareness of how catalysts work. Nowadays catalysts are fundamental for laboratory and industrial synthesis processes, and the Ross text provides the fundamental information needed for the selection of a catalyst for a synthesis proposal. Part I deals with ‘Fundamentals of Heterogeneous Catalysis’ and Part II with ‘Current Applications of Heterogeneous Catalysis’.
It is assumed that the reader is at an advanced stage in undergraduate chemistry, chemical engineering, or related sciences courses, or is at the postgraduate level, or is working with catalysts, and has the mathematical awareness that such courses and experience provides. Novices in catalysis will appreciate that Chapter 1 does not assume a specific awareness of the subject matter, and the analogy with the energy stored and released in the flow of water downhill provides a good representation for catalysis. I liked the explanations of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis and the contributions of the icons in the areas to historical developments in the field. This relatively extensive introductory treatise enables the reader to become aware of the fundamentals that apply for research and industrial applications. The remaining chapters (2-8) in Part I detail aspects vital for catalysis such as surfaces, surface coverage and area, physical and chemical adsorption, the reversibility of catalytic processes, and catalysis under oxidative and reductive conditions. Awareness of processes of catalyst preparation, composition, and characterisation, and the importance of finely divided catalyst materials, as well as the properties of supports that prevent the sintering of these, will guide the student and researcher in the selection or in the design of a catalyst system for a specific substrate conversion.
Emphasis is given to the necessity for detailed studies of the kinetics and thermodynamics relevant to the adsorption and desorption processes involved in catalysis..
The principles outlined in part I are used for the applications of heterogeneous catalysis in Part II. These include applications to town gas from coal and the classical Fscher-Tropsch process, to oil refining, to hydropurification of the products, to the hydroconversion processes used to obtain the wide variety of products sourced in oil, to the production of hydrogen and syngas from methane and natural gas, and to catalytic reactions involving, hydrogen or carbon monoxide for the production of intermediates and chemicals.
Envirmonental catalysis, now a major industry, is given due emphasis. The benefits have become evident by the extents to which smog and acid rain, attributable to the atmospheric pollutants NOx and SOx, arising from industrial and automotive emissions, are being controlled. The same applies to the author’s treatise on first and second generation biorefining, an emerging science with the capacity to replace fossil fuels by using lignocellulosic biomass as the source of the platform chemicals that can be catalytically converted to the products now sourced in coal and oil.
The manner in which attention-drawing boxes supplement diagrams and sometimes pictures illustrating reaction mechanisms and pathways, has especial appeal for me. I greatly favour the way in which the author sets ‘Tasks’ for the reader at appropriate places where the topic is discussed in the text, as opposed to the more usual questions set at the end of each chapter.
The reader will be impressed by the breadth of research experience of catalysis of the author. His lifetime research dedication to the topic is in evidence from his contributions to each of the major subject areas where catalysis applies.
Catalysis, including enzymatic catalysis is fundamental to research involving synthesis applications in research and in Industry. .Extrapolating from my post graduate studies in the USA, courses dealing with the topic would require about 30 lecture hours. The Ross book on Contemporary Catalysis would be an ideal text for such a course.
Michael H B Hayes

Contemporary Catalysis, Fundamentals and Current Applications by Professor J. R. H. Ross, Emeritus Professor, University of Limerick, Ireland was written as an aid to the student embarking in specialisation in the field as well as to both researchers and academics in the field of catalysis. It does so by building upon it’s predecessor, Heterogeneous Catalysis, Fundamentals and Applications, published in 2011, with a number of specific case studies of significant catalytic processes being added to demonstrate, in some detail, the application of catalysis to the conversion of primary feedstocks to key products. To that end, the author has, in the reviewer’s mind, succeeded. It is expected that this book will be used as a reference text by many.

The challenge Professor Ross set himself was considerable: to review the entire literature of the historical development of the field to present day and to then demonstrate application of the field, in some detail, to a number of the more significant catalytic processes. Inevitably, not everything has been covered. Moreover, the author has quite rightly written from his personal perspective and experience with consequent emphasis on certain subject areas. Nevertheless, the structure developed for this tool in laying out introductory information, highlighting specific areas in depth and providing tasks for the reader to use to discover an even greater appreciation of the subject works extremely well. Along the way, Professor Ross provides an accompanying commentary on the relevant literature and concludes with a short chapter providing insights to the student on how best to search for and use it.

In Chapter 1, Professor Ross gives the reader an overview of the historical development of the field of catalysis highlighting some of the key contributors. Necessarily, at this stage, a number of important terms and concepts are introduced for which the student has to wait with some patience for greater explanation and understanding until later in the book. Then follows a fairly comprehensive review of adsorption and surfaces as they pertain to catalysis. The question of how catalysis works is then developed in Chapter 3 albeit with an understandable slant on catalysis over metal surfaces.

Next is a good overview of catalyst preparation and characterization. Here, the reviewer was somewhat disappointed by the lack of attention to the vast literature of zeolitic materials and their uses. Similarly, the use of aluminium alkoxides as precursors to high purity alumina supports deserves attention. The “forming” of catalytic materials into useful articles could be expanded upon; the spray drying of eg. FCC and other catalysts is an omission. On characterisation, it is important for the student to really understand the shortcomings of most techniques as being applicable only to catalysts in isolation rather than under working conditions and therefore of the importance of the section which follows viz. measurement of catalytic performance.

Kinetics and mechanistics are reviewed in the subsequent chapter followed by an overview of heat and mass transfer and how these manifest themselves in commercial reactors and processes. As mentioned above, the field of zeolitic materials and their uses in control of surface acidity and shape selectivity could be given more attention. The author has missed the opportunity to use FCC catalysis as a highly significant example of the application of many of these principles. Attempts to measure and control the interconnectivity of pores in meso and macroporous materials could be addressed.

In the following chapters (9 through 14), the reader is given an overview of how the landscape of feedstocks has developed over time with the consequent need for the development of catalysts and catalytic processes for their conversion. The basics of refinery processing, hydrogen and syngas production and conversion, environmental catalysis, selective hydrogenation and oxidation and finally biomass conversion are all given significant coverage. The reader is encouraged to probe more deeply into fields of particular interest.

Professor Ross has succeeded with this major undertaking. However, some significant gaps have been identified which can be addressed in the future. The greatest omission, almost in entirety, from the reviewer’s perspective, is the field of (heterogeneous) polyolefin catalysis. Such an interesting subject can perhaps be incorporated at a later stage although the reviewer recognizes that this would be yet another major undertaking for the author!

Brian Kneale
Independent Consultant
Liverpool, United Kingdom

This excellent textbook comprehensively collects Prof. Ross’ vast teaching and research experience in a very unique way. The book consists of comparative analyses of the historical evolution of the catalytic science and technologies, with an intent of guiding students through different approaches for knowledge acquisition and creation. In general, Prof. Ross magisterially uses his own experience to explain and illustrate the most basic principles of catalysis. The book format conveniently employs boxes and task assignments to expand descriptions, discussions and exemplifications, as well as covering aspects of internet tools, search browsers, specialized databases, etc. that would train students, on modern ways of literature search and state-of-the-art generation. The methodologies that use citations of classical works and review articles are particularly emphasized, for understanding the evolution and development of a given research topic or problem. As a whole, this book not only will serve as strong motivation for students for undertaking a catalysis path, but also could be taken as a compulsory input to help them in deciding whether to pursue an academic, research or industrial career. Additionally, the book will also help young researchers and lectures in fine tuning their procedures and compliment their own ideas.

Updated and significantly expanded 2nd edition of this textbook on fundamental and applied aspects of heterogeneous catalysis.
As well as being a textbook on this very important topic; that's just the start as the author has brought the subject matter to life with examples, hyperlinks and suggestions to engage the reader and guide them through the vast academic literature.
The chapters on catalyst preparation and characterisation will be invaluable for researchers new to the subject,
while the later chapters offer a wide range of examples of applied catalysis relevant to modern life.

The textbook on the fundamentals and current applications of heterogeneous catalysis, reads like a fascinating journey through the science of catalysis in the last few centuries. Foremost however, it is a unraveled course in catalysis ; enriched with very nice illustrations and numerous internet links that provide additional background. The course includes a large variety of applications, showing the sometimes enormous reactors involved, like the large top- or side fired steam reforming units (I had the privilege to work with Julian on catalytic aspects in this technology).
As a bonus, readers and students, that I hope will be encouraged to take notice of this book, also get a nice insight in the state of art of literature search today.
Finally, the book also provides an insight in the role of catalysis in the context of the energy transition using sustainable technology to preserve the earth and climate. Conversion of green feedstocks, like starch, into basic chemicals like (poly)ethylene, (poly)propylene requires new avenues in catalysis. This textbook is of unprecedented value in this new, solar driven field.
All in all, no doubt that this fascinating book by Julian Ross will be a trusted guide for students and researchers to find their way in the fascinating world of catalysis.

Paul van den Oosterkamp
Senior energy advisor at ECN.TNO
Amsterdam
The Netherlands

The book “Contemporary Catalysis” represents a significantly extended version of an earlier book written by Julian Ross, Heterogeneous Catalysis – Fundamentals and Applications (Elsevier, 2012). Julian is well known to the catalysis community as the former Chief Editor of the Catalysis Today, the organizer of the EuropaCat V Congress in Limerick, university professor and the co-author of many highly cited papers related to different fields of heterogeneous catalysis. This book is therefore mainly related to heterogeneous catalysis. Comparison of its contents with those of several other books on heterogeneous catalysis that have appeared recently shows that they differ significantly. The structure of the book seems optimal and I do not find anything missing.
The book touches first on the history of catalysis and moves on to discuss modern trends in the development of catalysts and catalytic processes. It includes descriptions of the most important catalysis applications: environmental catalysis, partial oxidation and hydrogenation of hydrocarbons, etc. Fundamental chapters of the book consider adsorption, diffusion, heat transfer, reactors, kinetics, characterization of catalysts and similar topics. It is interesting that characterization of catalysts is not indicated on the book cover where a graphical description of the development of a catalytic process is given. It is not clear whether Julian Ross intentionally omitted this, supposing that it had already been included under catalyst preparation or testing or whether the omission happened accidentally.
One of the last interests of the author prior to his full retirement was catalytic hydrogen production by formic acid decomposition. This topic has attracted considerable interest from researchers over recent years. Since Julian Ross started this project in 2007, the number of papers published per year in the area has increased by 1-2 orders of magnitude. The book discusses the synthesis of formic acid and the kinetics of formic acid decomposition in the presence of formate salts.
The book includes very useful illustrations and formulas. In case a reader needs a specific formula related to catalytic studies, he/she can first search through this book and there is a great chance that he will find it. Additionally, some of the material is very original as it is difficult to find it elsewhere. I am very happy that Julian Ross had performed the serious task of writing this book and I believe that it will be useful for many years for both students and experienced scientists.

Dmitri Bulushev
Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Novosibirsk, Russia

I have enjoyed reading the book “Contemporary Catalysis”, by Prof. Julian Ross, and what is more important, I am convinced that it will be of great help for my classes in Chemical Reaction Engineering and Catalysis. This book will really make my job easier.
Throughout its fifteen chapters, the book addresses all aspects necessary to understand what a catalyst is, how it works, and how a catalytic process is designed. The first chapter offers the reader a masterly historical review of the development of catalytic processes and the importance of these processes, illustrating the great advances that humanity has made over the last two centuries. Catalysis has allowed us to increase the amount of food, synthesize drugs, produce energy, eliminate contaminants, synthesize new fibers and materials, and many other important things. It is necessary that the student, when approaching the study of catalysis, understand its importance, and without doubt will feel motivated. In this sense, the first chapter describes the most important historical aspects in a motivating, clear and concise way.
The following chapters address two important aspects to understand what a catalyst is and its behavior during reaction. So Chapter 2 focuses on the study of the adsorption process and Chapter 3 on the fundamental aspects to understand the mechanisms that take place in a heterogeneous catalytic process. Then, the study of the preparation of the catalytic materials and also their characterization is addressed. At all times it is made clear at the beginning of each chapter the importance of its contents, something fundamental to motivate students. The first part concludes with three chapters dedicated to the engineering of the catalytic processes, something fundamental so that the student can approach the design of chemical processes catalyzed heterogeneously.
Once the student has understood how to prepare a catalyst, how to characterize it to know its structure, and how to approach the design of the process, the book presents seven chapters in which the main applications of heterogeneous catalysts are presented. The first section discusses the available raw materials (coal, oil, natural gas, biomass and wood, etc.) and the main reasons of energy need and sustainable development, as well as environmental reasons to transform them. Then, in subsequent chapters the different catalytic processes to transform these raw materials into fuels and materials are presented. In this way, the order that the book follows to present the contents is very logical and very accessible, which is why it is suitable to introduce students to the fascinating world of catalysis. The first chapter is motivating from the point of view of understanding the importance of heterogeneous catalysis in the current level of development of humanity. But after the second part, the student can guess the future, the new processes that will be developed soon to address the energy and environmental challenges that our society must face, something, tremendously motivating for students. It is therefore a book that presents the rigorous theoretical contents but at the same time makes the student see the application of them, motivating him to study and to dedicate his professional career in this fascinating field of catalytic processes.
In addition to the logical order, and practical as well as rigorous of the book, it is written in a very instructive way. Boxes are presented with examples and stories that complement the subject. In addition, throughout the text are proposed tasks (clearly indicated) that often consist of solving small problems or looking for information on the Internet to complete what the student will learn with the book. This is also very educational way to guide students in the search for rigorous and quality information; they often have so much information at their fingertips that they sometimes do not know how to distinguish the rigorous information from data that do not have scientific criteria. Through the tasks and the examples they will gain a knowledge of diverse commercial processes of interest, and also of large chemical companies. This is something that will complement their scientific culture.
In short, this book will greatly facilitate the work of chemical engineering professors, as it is very instructive and current, something essential to address the engineering subjects of the chemical reaction and catalysis; it could be used even for introductory courses of the first year, in the which is necessary that the students understand the importance of the chemical processes in the level of development of the humanity, and the role that catalysts will play in the near future. I strongly recommend the book to professors and students, and also to anyone who has a basic training in chemistry and wants to read an easy and enjoyable text that will help you expand your knowledge on a current issue as is the role that catalysts will play in the energy and environmental challenges that humanity must solve in the next decades.

Prof. M. Olga Guerrero-Pérez
Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering
Universidad de Málaga
E29071 Málaga, Spain