Synthesis and Characterization of Mesostructured Materials

Abstract Catalysis and heterogeneous catalysts are essential to our present technology for the production and consumption of fuels, the manufacture and processing of chemical feedstocks and plastics [1,2]. It had been estimated that the introduction of this technology has permitted savings of more than 400 million barrels of oil each year [l]. Today, worldwide catalysts sales exceed $5.9 billion per year, and it has been estimated that catalysts generate fuels and chemicals worth $2.4 trillion annually, equivalent to half the U.S. Gross National Product [1,2].