Abstract:  Renaming of the Journal of Natural Gas Chemistry to the Journal of Energy Chemistry is most timely and appropriate. The past decade has seen a rapid growth in research and technology devoted to the use of renewable energy resources, principally biomass and solar radiation, at the same time that reserves of fossil energy have increased as a consequence of using advanced drilling methods to release natural gas and petroleum from shale. The changes suggest that future research will focus on both the conversion of conventional energy resources in a manner that result in their efficient use and on the discovery and development of conversion technologies for utilization of renewable energy resources. Broadening the scope and objectives of the journal to cover all the creative researches and innovative applications of chemical conversions of fossil energy, electrochemical energy and hydrogen energy, as well as the conversions of biomass and solar energy related with chemical issues, which will give readers an opportunity to learn about the full spectrum of effort relevant to these subjects. This inaugural issue of the Journal of Energy Chemistry provides an exciting and intellectually stimulating view of the field of energy chemistry. This issue begins with four review articles addressing the conversion of methane to aromatics, the emerging importance of shale gas as a source of fuels and chemical, an overview of the most recent advances in catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, and the use of hydrates for the sequestration of CO₂. These reviews are followed by a communication and twelve articles recent reporting recent advances in various areas of energy chemistry.
  The Editors of the Journal of Energy Chemistry hope that readers of this issue will find the content of the newly renamed
journal to be informative, and will be stimulated to submit their work for consideration and publication in future issues.
Xinhe Bao and Alexis T. Bell