Book excerpt: Ion Exchange Materials: Properties and Applications fills a "two-dimensional" gap in books currently available on the subject. Firstly, there is a lack of modern comprehensive publications on the chemistry of ion exchange materials and on the relationships between their properties and practical applications. Secondly, there are few books on ion exchange chemistry that are targeted to industrial R&D specialists and research students who (i) do not work with ion exchange on a daily basis, (ii) need to develop competence in this area, and (iii) find it difficult to start studying the subject from primary scientific publications. The book bridges these gaps by describing classical and modern theoretical concepts, as well as practical approaches for using ion exchange materials. Ion exchange materials combine properties of homogeneous and heterogeneous materials. Besides being an interesting subject for investigation, they are essential in a wide variety of industrial technologies: in the chemical and biochemical industries, pharmacy, medicine, microelectronics, the nuclear industry, food production, waste treatment, and many other areas. Ion exchange is a powerful tool in chemical analysis and scientific research. The main focus in this book is on ion exchange polymers: ion exchange resins, chelating resins, imprinted (templated), and other functional polymers. It provides an in-depth study of ion exchange materials, suitable for postgraduate students and R&D industrial specialists in chemistry, chemical and biochemical technology. - Comprehensively covers the subject - Provides links between theoretical concepts, material properties, practical applications, and technical solutions - Easy to understand - requires only ground knowledge of university-level chemistry and can be read without an in-depth knowledge of mathematics - Supported with an interactive website