Heterogeneous catalysis is undergoing a dramatic change driven by the need to develop more efficient catalyst systems for the production of specialty chemicals and the development of new high-tech materials. The traditional concept of a catalyst system consisting of finely divided metal particles dispersed on an inert amorphous ceramic support has encountered increased challenges. The chemical and physical phenomena that occur at the metal particle/support interface are looked at together with the detailed structural and crystallographic features of both components. Also of interest is the...