The Brazilian Symposium of Electrochemistry and Electroanalysis (SIBEE) is the most important national forum to discuss the advances and challenges of electrochemistry as well as electroanalytical chemistry, promoting especially the dissemination of scientific and technological results. The SIBEE has provided an excellent opportunity for different professionals to expose their work, discuss ideas, and keep updated about of the new developments and the new challenges in the area.

The history of SIBEE began in São Paulo, at the Chemistry Institute of the University of São Paulo, 12–14 October 1978. This first edition of SIBEE was organized by Prof. Eduardo Fausto de Almeida Neves and Prof. Tibor Rabóczkay. The following editions of SIBEE took place every 2 years with the number of participants increasing, reflecting the steady maturing of the scientific community involved in research on electrochemical and electroanalytical chemistry. In 1990, the VII SIBEE was held in the city of Ribeirão Preto (São Paulo), while in 1992, the VIII SIBEE was held in Campinas (São Paulo). In 1994, the IX SIBEE was held in conjunction with the Congress of the Iberoamerican Society of Electrochemistry, in Águas de Lindóia, still in São Paulo, with participation of the Brazilian and Ibero-American electrochemistry communities. The tenth edition was held in São Carlos in 1997 with a significant participation of researchers from outside the state of São Paulo, showing the new scenario of the Brazilian electrochemistry community. Then, it was decided to carry out the SIBEE in several regions of the country to promote the development of the electrochemistry. Maragogi in Alagoas (1999), Gramado in Rio Grande do Sul (2001), Araraquara in São Paulo (2002), Teresópolis in Rio de Janeiro (2003), and Londrina in Paraná (2005) were the scenarios of the following editions. Between 2007 and 2011, the SIBEE was held in Águas de Lindóia in São Paulo, Fortaleza in Ceara, and Bento Gonçalves in Rio Grande do Sul, evidencing the evolution of new groups of electrochemistry and electroanalytical chemistry throughout the country. In the year 2013, the XIX edition was organized in Campos do Jordão in São Paulo, while the XX SIBEE was held in Minas Gerais in 2015, in the city of Uberlândia. In all editions, the main objective was the initial feature established by the founders: “to prioritize the quality and accuracy of the discussions of the works presented, seeking to bring scientists of recognized competence to deliver lectures and discuss science at the highest level”.

Thus, this special issue is to celebrate the consolidation of an idea, to recognize the participation of the Brazilian Society of Electrochemistry and Electroanalysis (Sociedade Brasileira de Eletroquímica e Eletroanalítica (SBEE)) in the organization, and to highlight the realization of the XXI SIBEE in April 2017, for the first time, in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. On that occasion, 563 communications (oral and poster), 36 keynotes, and 8 plenary lectures were presented, with 577 participants and covering virtually all sub-areas of electrochemistry. It was a high standard scientific meeting that gave to all participants an excellent atmosphere to discuss electrochemistry, to meet people, and to interchange experiences. Also, smartphone app powered by Galoá® was used for the first time at XXI SIBEE, and we are pleased with its success.

At this opportunity, I would like to thank the organizing committee (students and professors) and scientific committee coordinated by Prof. Lauro Tatsuo Kubota from the University of Campinas, São Paulo, and all the speakers, particularly those with researchers recognized expertise in electrochemistry that presented the plenary lectures: Prof. Maria Valnice Boldrin Zanoni (São Paulo State University-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil), Prof. Herman Terryn (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium), Prof. Manuel Andrés Rodrigo (Universidad de Castilla – La Mancha, Spain), Prof. Philippe Allongue (CNR - École Polytechnique, France), Prof. Shelley D. Minteer (University of Utah, USA), Prof. José H. Zagal (Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Chile), Prof. Serge Cosnier (Université Grenoble Alpes, France), and Prof. Ernesto Chaves Pereira de Souza (Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil). Special thanks should be made to Professor Fritz Scholz, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry, for welcoming the proposal of a special issue and for all the support received by the editorial board, especially the support given by Dr. Michael Hermes. The Symposium was possible thanks to the numerous sponsors (International Society of Electrochemistry, The Electrochemical Society, Metrohm, Interprise Ametek, Labsolutions, Bruker, RobertPlat - Impalla, PWM Brasil) and financial institutions (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, CAPES, CNPq, NUPPRAR, SBEE), to whom we are deeply grateful. Thank you for your participation in and contributions to the XXI SIBEE. 

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