This volume contains papers and short communications presented at the 12th Canadian Symposium on Catalysis. The aim of the meeting was to present an update on new and established areas of catalysis research being performed in industry, government and university laboratories. Topics covered relate mainly to resource processing, such as heavy oil and natural gas upgrading, and to environmental issues. Approximately half the papers are included in sections on hydrogenation, carbon-carbon bond formation and environmental issues. The remaining papers cover general topics and homogeneous reactions. Examples include studies of hydroprocessing catalysts, carbon-carbon bond formation via methane oxidative coupling and dimerization of olefins, homogeneous catalysts in polymerization and dimerization reactions, performance of pillared clays, metal-oxygen cluster compounds, zeolites and catalysts prepared by metal oxide vapour synthesis. Studies that address the environmental issues include wet-air oxidation, catalytic elimination of organics, oxidation reactions and catalyst regeneration.

A selection of the contents. Hydrogenation (9 papers). Characterization of the surface of MoS based catalysts using thermal methods (G.B. McGarvey, S. Kasztelan). A comparison of the resistance to deactivation of NiMo hydroprocessing catalysts supported on alumina, carbon and carbon-covered alumina in gas oil and model compound reactions (P.M. Boorman, K. Chong, R.A. Kydd). Surface organometallic chemistry on metals. Catalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene into aniline on silica supported rhodium modified by tetrabutyltin (B. Didillon, F. Le Peltier, J.P. Candy, J.P. Boitiaux, J.M. Basset). Hydrogenation of coker naphtha with NiMo catalyst (S. Yui, E. Chan). Carbon-carbon bond formation (8 papers). On the behavior of Cr/silica catalyst during ethylene polymerization in a slurry reactor (J.A. Szymura, P.A. Zielinski, I.G. Dalla Lana). Anion-treated solid acids for butene dimerization (S. Soled, N. Dispenziere, R. Saleh). Solid superacid catalysts for methane conversion and alkylation (F.T.T. Ng, C.R. Rourke, J. Lynn). Promoting effects of manganese, molybdenum and iron in the hydrogenation of CO over highly dispersed rhodium (S. Marengo, S. Martinengo, L. Zanderighi). Homogeneous reactions (6 papers). Some applications of homogeneous catalysis in materials science (J.F. Harrod). Ethylene dimerization (A. Krzywicki, K. Johnstone). Hydrogenation of nitrile-butadiene rubber catalysed by Ru