Several applications of infrared laser pulses to the study of the kinetics and dynamics of surface chemical reactions are briefly summarized. Specific emphasis is placed on results obtained by the authors’ group using methods made possible by recent progress in the generation of intense and frequency-tunable infrared laser pulses. This progress has enabled us to carry out vibrational spectroscopic measurements of the species adsorbed on insulator materials as well as on metal surfaces, providing us with a unique and powerful tool for the study of surface reactions.