(from preface)

Advances in Catalysis is now entering into its fifth year. It is, in the editors' opinion, an encouraging and significant fact that the past volumes are finding increasing use in scientific and industrial laboratories and that the Advances are frequently quoted as literature sources on various topics of catalysis.
Thus, the editors present this fifth volume with confidence that it too may serve the purpose of fully informing those interested or active in catalytic studies on scientific and practical progress in this field.
In the current volume a variety of subjects is treated by competent authors. These subjects deal with new techniques of surface investigations with the microbalance, with the elucidation of reaction mechanisms by the concept of intermediates, and with specialized studies of the ammonia synthesis, hydrogenations, carbon monoxide oxidation and hydrocarbon syntheses. In addition, Volume V contains an extensive critical review of Russian literature in catalysis.