This book comprises papers resulting from the 1st International workshop Minerals as Advanced Materials I. It is intended as an exchange of ideas between mineralogists and material scientists. The aim is to identify minerals and mineral objects that have or potentially have unique physical, chemical and structural properties that are of interest from the viewpoint of applied mineralogy and material science. The author studied Crystallography at the St.Petersburg State University.

Sergey V. Krivovichev is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Crystallography, Faculty of Geology, St.Petersburg State University. He has co-authored two books and more than 200 scientific papers in the fields of mineralogy, crystallography and structural chemistry. He has been awarded the Medal for Scientific Excellence by the European Mineralogical Union (2002), Alexander von Humboldt and Lise Meitner Research fellowships, and a number of Russian national distinctions. His activities include services as Associate Editor for leading mineralogical journals such as Canadian Mineralogist, American Mineralogist and Russian Mineralogist (Zapiski RMO).

Natural Zeolites: Cation Exchange, Cation Arrangement and Dehydration Behavior.- Natural Ion Exchange in Microporous Minerals: Different Aspects and Implications.- Why Do Super-Aluminous Sodalites and Melilites Exist, but Not so Feldspars?.- First Natural Pharmacosiderite-Related Titanosilicates and Their Ion-Exchange Properties.- Tobermorite 11 Å and Its Synthetic Counterparts: Structural Relationships and Thermal Behaviour.- Mixed-Framework Microporous Natural Zirconosilicates.- Chivruaiite, a New Mineral with Ion-Exchange Properties.- Tl-Exchange in Zorite and ETS-4.- The Largest Source of Minerals with Unique Structure and Properties.- Trigonal Members of the Lovozerite Group: A Re-investigation.- Ion-Exchange Properties of Natural Sodium Zirconosilicate Terskite.- Chemistry of Cancrinite-Group Minerals from the Khibiny-Lovozero Alkaline Complex, Kola Peninsula, Russia.- On the Inhomogeneities in the Structures of Labuntsovite-Group Minerals.- Phosphates with Amphoteric Oxocomplexes: Crystal Chemical Features and Expected Physical Properties.- Structural Mineralogy of Borates as Perspective Materials for Technological Applications.- Zeolite-Like Borosilicates from the Si-Rich Part of the R2O-B2O3-SiO2 (R = K, Rb, Cs) Systems.- Structural Diversity of Layered Double Hydroxides.- Crystal Chemistry of Oxocentered Chain Lead Oxyhalides and their Importance as Perspective Materials.- Features of Low-Temperature Alteration of Ti- and Nb-Phyllosilicates Under Laboratory Conditions.- Silicate Tubes in the Crystal Structure of Manaksite.- Heterophyllosilicates, a Potential Source of Nanolayers for Materials Science.- Fullerene-Like Carbon in Nature and Perspectives of its use in Science-Based Technologies.- Fullerenes as Possible Collectors of Noble, Rare, and DisseminatedElements.- Nanotubes in Minerals and Mineral-Related Systems.- Natural and Synthetic Minerals Matrices (Forms) for Actinide Waste Immobilization.- Behavior of Actinide Host-Phases Under Self-irradiation: Zircon, Pyrochlore, Monazite, and Cubic Zirconia Doped with Pu-238.- Stabilization of Radioactive Salt-Containing Liquid and Sludge waste on the Ceramic Matrices.- The Role of Organic Matter in Peralkaline Pegmatites: Comparison of Minerogenetic and Technological Processes.- Structure, Chemistry and Crystallization Conditions of Calcium Oxalates The Main Components of Kidney Stones.- Structure, Chemistry and Synthesis of Carbonate Apatites The Main Components of Dental and Bone Tissues.