1 Introduction to Catalysis 1.1 What Is Catalysis? 1.2 Catalysts Can Be Atoms, Molecules, Enzymes and Solid Surfaces 1.3 Why Is Catalysis Important? 1.4 Catalysis as a Multidisciplinary Science 1.5 Catalysis in Journals 2 The Basics of Catalysis 2.1 Catalysis as a Kinetic Phenomenon 2.2 Practical Approaches in Kinetic Studies 2.3 An Overview of Some Basic Concepts in Catalysis 3 Homogeneous Catalysis 3.1 Metal Complex Catalysis in the Liquid Phase 3.2 Homogeneous Catalysis Without Metals 4 Heterogeneous Catalysis 4.1 Classic Gas/Solid Systems 4.2 Liquid/Solid and Liquid/Liquid Catalytic Systems 5 Catalyst Characterization 5.1 X-ray Diffraction (XRD) 5.2 X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) 5.3 Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) 5.4 Electron Microscopy 5.5 M6ssbauer Spectroscopy 5.6 Ion Spectroscopy: SIMS, LEIS, RBS 5.7 Temperature-Programmed Reduction, Oxidation and Sulfidation 5.8 Infrared Spectroscopy 5.9 Surface Science Techniques 6 Kinetics 6.1 Catalytic Reactions 6.2 Langmuir Adsorption Isotherms 6.3 Reaction Mechanisms 6.4 Entropy, Entropy Production, Auto Catalysis and Oscillating Reactions 6.5 Kinetics of Enzyme-Catalyzed Reactions 7 Basic Introduction to Nanocatalysis 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Brief Description of the Development of Surface Science 7.3 Catalysis at Nanoscale 7.4 Future Challenges 8 Catalysis by Gold Nanoparticles 8.1 Preparative Methods 8.2 Properties of Nanoparticulate Gold Catalysts 8.3 Reactions Catalysed by Nanocatalytic Gold and Gold Alloys