The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials is a multidisciplinary research laboratory in the Chemistry Department at Fudan University. It is rooted in the Physical Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry, two State Key Disciplines of the University, and the former Physical Chemistry Special Laboratory of the Ministry of Education.The present Laboratory extends beyond disciplinary boundaries, and brings together a group of professors and experts to meet scientific challenges in the new century. Among the 52 permanent staff members of the Laboratory, there are 1 Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Chair Professors of Cheung Kong Scholars Programme and 12 Distinguished Young Scientists funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.In recent years the Laboratory invested ca. US$11 million in the state-of-the-art instruments, including TEM, SEM, NMR spectrometers, powder X-ray diffractometer, single-crystal X-ray diffractometer, UV Raman spectrometer and etc.As a major academic catalysis research laboratory in Shanghai, the mission of the Laboratory is to conduct creative fundamental research targeted at solving challenges of industrial interest. The main research orientations of the Laboratory are heterogeneous catalysis, synthesis and application of porous and nanoscale materials, polymerization catalysis, electrochemistry, and theoretical catalysis and reaction kinetics. The research projects in all these fields are aimed at molecular understanding of catalysts and catalytic processes, designing novel materials and catalyst systems of industrial relevance, and bridging the gaps between fundamental chemistry research and industrial applications.