**Preface**

Carbon materials are the materials of the past, the present, and the future, catering to the needs of mankind. As with chemicals and fuels, a paradigm shift is happening in the production of carbon materials as well. A rapid transition is occuring in the nature of feedstock used for the production of carbon materials, namely from fossil-based to biomass-based. Biomass is the single largest carbon resource on the surface of planet Earth. The use of biomass as a starting material for the production of carbon materials has made the material sustainable, environmentally benign, and economically viable. Most often, the properties and the resulting applications of such carbon materials are either comparable or superior to the fossil-based counterparts. As is the diversity of the nature and the biomass contained therein, so is the diversity in the synthetic strategies, properties, and applications of the resulting carbon materials. The first volume of this Special Issue in *C—Journal of Carbon Research* on "Biomass – A renewable resource for carbon materials" has been successful, and the second volume in this series (second edition) has seen similar success, attracting 10 research groups from 14 different nations, showing the intensity of the research and development activity in the field globally. The Editors wish to acknowledge the 10 research groups that have contributed 10 scholarly papers (2 state-of-the-art reviews and 8 research articles) that have formed the 10 chapters of this Book. The content of this reprint deals with the use of novel biomass feedstock for carbon materials production, exotic synthetic strategies, new insights into characterization techniques, and diverse and unconventional applications, all centered around environmental remediation, a problem requiring a quick remedy for the wellbeing of mankind. Indebtedness is due to Dr William Wang, the Managing Editor of *C—Journal of Carbon Research* for his steadfast and unconditional support, without which this endeavor could not have been possible. Grateful thanks are also expressed to Professor B Viswanathan for introducing the astounding field of carbon materials to Dr Indra Neel.

Dedicated to "My LORD, my GOD, Jesus Christ. John 20:28". "My grace is sufficient for thee. 2 Corinthians 12:9".
