Editorial

It gives me great pleasure to write this editorial for the Europacat X edition of Catalysis Science and Technology. When we first went to EFCATS to present our bid for Glasgow to host Europacat X, Catalysis Science and Technology was no more than a twinkle-in-the-eye. For many years catalysis research was spread throughout the RSC journals now in CS&T it has a home. It is pleasant to see your own learned society recognising the importance of catalysis and giving it a journal in its own right. How things have changed in such a short period.

Inside this issue you will find heterogeneous catalysis, homogeneous catalysis, biocatalysis, photocatalysis, theoretical studies and solid state studies, as well as reviews linking some of these areas. This broad coverage of catalysis is a key aspect of Catalysis Science and Technology. The journal is a place to publish the best in catalysis and the papers in this issue are typical of the high quality scientific research into catalysis and catalytic processes that is being undertaken across the world. Two of the Europacat X plenary speakers have contributed excellent reviews covering the heterogenisation of homogeneous catalysts and the use of theory to obtain new insights into the mechanism and kinetics of the Fischer–Tropsch reaction. Catalysis Science and Technology is truly an international journal that recognises the breadth of science that is encompassed within the field of catalysis.

The breadth of this issue also gives you a flavour of the breadth and depth of catalysis that you will find in Europacat X. Instead of topical reactions we have chosen to structure the conference around the fundamentals of catalysis—preparation, characterisation, kinetics and mechanism, industrial application and catalyst deactivation and regeneration. Within each section you will find a wide variety of presentations that showcase the best of catalysis research in the world today. The Europacat X conference in Glasgow is truly global with 57 countries represented and with no country submitting more than 10% of the abstracts. Importantly we have a significant contribution from industrial research laboratories, along with keynotes from UOP and Huntsman.

Catalysis is often considered a mature subject, I disagree. We are still in the early stages of understanding catalytic processes and there is a lot more to do in terms of catalyst development, especially for non-petrochemical transformations. Catalysis is a young and vigorous science that is reflected in the issue of research, with many challenges and questions still to be resolved. In 1948 Alwin Mittasch said “Chemistry without catalysis, would be a sword without a handle, a light without brilliance, a bell without sound.” I believe that statement is as true today as it was in 1948.

Many of you reading this editorial will be in Glasgow for Europacat X and it will be your first time in the city. I would like to take the opportunity to welcome you to Glasgow, which is my home city. Like both Catalysis Science and Technology and Europacat X, Glasgow is cosmopolitan with influences from all over the world but it also has its own very unique character. I am sure you will enjoy the historical and social content of Glasgow as much as you will enjoy the scientific content of this journal and Europacat X.

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