In this edition, the scope and character of the monograph did not change with respect to the first edition. Taking into account the rapid development of the field, we have, however, considerably enlarged its contents. Chapter 4 includes two additional sections 4.4 and 4.6 on theory and algorithms of D.C. Programming. Chapter 7, on Decomposition Algorithms in Nonconvex Optimization, is completely new. Besides this, we added several exercises and corrected errors and misprints in the first edition. We are grateful for valuable suggestions and comments that we received from several colleagues....

N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Transition Metal Catalysis and Organocatalysis features all catalytic reactions enabled by N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), either directly as organocatalysts or as ligands for transition metal catalysts. An explosion in the use of NHCs has been reported in the literature during the past seven years making this comprehensive overview highly apropos.

The book begins with an introductory overview of NHCs which could have been subtitled all you need to know about NHCs. The main body of the book is dedicated to applications of NHCs in catalysis....

The discovery of C60 and C70, icosahedral spherical and ellipsoidal carbon species in September 1985, followed by their successful synthesis in 1990, excited the imagination of many scientists and demanded a radical revision of old, seemingly well-founded, preconceptions in carbon science, leading to the institution of a new, multidisciplinary science of chemistry, physics and materials science in the round.

Computational Modelling of Homogeneous Catalysis is an extensive collection of recent results on a wide array of catalytic processes. The chapters are, in most cases, authored by the researchers who have performed the calculations. The book illustrates the importance of computational modelling in homogeneous catalysis by providing up-to-date reviews of its application to a variety of reactions of industrial interest, including:

-olefin polymerization;
-hydrogenation;
-alkene/alkyne isomerization;
-hydroformylation;
-hydroboration; hydrosylation;
-dihydroxylation;...

The subject of dioxygen activation and homogeneous catalytic oxidation by metal complexes has been in the focus of attention over the last 20 years. The widespread interest is illustrated by its recurring presence among the sessions and subject areas of important international conferences on various aspects of bioinorganic and coordination chemistry as well as catalysis. The most prominent examples are ICCC, ICBIC, EUROBIC, ISHC, and of course the ADHOC series of meetings focusing on the subject itself. Similarly, the number of original and review papers devoted to various aspects of dioxygen...

Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical that is becoming increasingly fashionable as an oxidant, both in industry and in academia and whose production is expected to increase significantly in the next few years. This growth in interest is largely due to environmental considerations related to the clean nature of hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant, its by-product being only water.
To date this chemical has largely been employed as a non-selective oxidant in operations like the bleaching of paper, cellulose and textiles, or in the formulation of detergents, and only to a minimal extent in the...

Photosensitization and photocatalysis refer to processes by which permanent chemical transformations are induced on substrates (organic/inorganic) by radiation to which the substrates themselves are transparent. Such transformations can be highly specific, very efficient, and occur under mild conditions. Herein lies the power of photochemical methods for possible applications in the field of conversion and storage of solar energy. This book provides a recent survey of the progress in this important area in catalysis, with an emphasis on inorganic complexes and organometallic compounds...

Homogeneous hydrogenation is one of the most thoroughly studied fields of homogeneous catalysis. The results of these studies have proved to be most important for an understanding of the underlying principles of the activation of small molecules by transition metal complexes. During the past three decades homogeneous hydrogenation has found widespread application in organic chemistry, including the production of important pharmaceuticals, especially where a sophisticated degree of selectivity is required.
This volume presents a general account of the main principles and applications of...

Oxidative catalysis by metalloporphyrin systems occupies a prominent role in the current research in the fields of chemical and biological catalysis. Our particular interest and approach has been to collect in the same volume papers dealing with both the chemical and biological aspects of the reactivity of heme systems because of the realization that a better understanding of the complementary discipline can be extremely useful for the researchers from either field. The current progress of the research on synthetic metalloporphyrin catalysts has led to the development of several systems that...

The origins of the petrochemical industry can be traced back to the 1920s when simple organic chemicals such as ethanol and isopropanol were first prepared on an industrial scale from by-products (ethylene and propylene) of oil refining. This oil-based petrochemical industry, with lower olefms and aromatics as the key building blocks, rapidly developed into the enormous industry it is today. A multitude of products that are indispensible to modern day society, from plastics to pharmaceuticals, are derived from oil and natural gas-based hydro carbons. The industry had its heyday in the '50s...