HETEROGENEOUS CATALYSIS BY GOLD: THE EFFECT OF OXIDE SUPPORT, EXTERNAL CONDITIONS, AND THE METAL/OXIDE INTERFACE

is dedicated to all that bring order to chaos, understanding to the obscure, and light into the darkness. May all of your paths stay brightly lit, populated by excellent people, and full of bountiful spoils. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have contributed in various ways to the completion of this disser-tation. To acknowledge you all individually, and with proper measure, would dwarf the scientific contents of this document. Instead, I thank you all in concert, everyone who is close, far, and no longer with us. Thank you. Your indelible mark has been made