One major worldwide energy challenge is the reduction of environmental pollution caused by the combustion of fossil fuels and other chemical energetic components. For more than one hundred years, extensive research has sought cleaner fuels to supply energy consumption demands with mainstays of upgrading bitumen and coal and hydro-processing fuels. A primary challenge for refinery processing is using the efficiency and long-life span of catalytic materials to lower the high content of heterogeneous atoms such as sulfur and other pollutants, as well as to improve methane reforming and water split. This Journal of Materials Research Focus Issue presents research on catalytic materials including chemical synthesis, evaluation, characterization, and computer-assisted electronic structure simulation. Contributions to the issue come from research groups in Brazil, México, China, and other countries. This Focus Issue includes data and information related to diverse materials for catalytic purposes with special emphasis on recent achievements in the field which will be of great relevance to the academic and industrial communities. The editors thank all contributors for their submissions to the issue.