Explosive growth has been seen in research on both microporous and mesoporous molecular sieves. Accordingly this book focuses on major advances in synthesis, characterization and applications of porous materials. It opens with a section on synthetic approaches to zeolites, pillared materials, sol-gel materials and mesoporous materials. New types of microporous materials are described, including the preparation of microporous metal-organic solids which have both organic and inorganic building units in the structure. The area of mesoporous molecular sieves is also featured. Creative synthetic methods in this area have allowed design tailoring of composition, pore size, structure and texture. New mesoporous compositions are described, including hexagonal, transition metal-oxide structures. Such compositions may have catalytic uses. To complement the synthetic areas, advanced characterization techniques are also discussed. These include new methods for studying porosity, as well as advanced spectroscopic techniques. Applications of microporous and mesoporous materials include the areas of adsorption, batteries, catalysis, ceramic precursors, nonlinear optical materials, electronic conductivity, sensors, and similar areas.