Abstract: Programmable catalysis expands catalyst design beyond composition and structure by treating time-dependent energetic inputs as a controllable reaction variable. Programmed energetic stimuli such as waveforms of electrochemical potential, charge condensation, or photonic excitation can deliberately ‘move’ catalyst surfaces between distinct kinetic regimes, accessing reactivity not available through thermal energy alone under static operation. Programmable electrochemical strategies in which dynamic operation controls surface coverages, decouples the frequently opposing kinetic and thermodynamic demands of a catalyst by separating surface preparation from catalytic turnover, enabling turnover rates beyond potentiostatic limits. Formic acid electro-oxidation on metal surfaces is one such example, where potential oscillations periodically build and consume surface intermediates, producing substantial rate enhancement while revealing an important practical constraint: electron efficient waveform design must respect the intrinsic relaxation timescale of the catalytic system. For alkene oxidation on gold, programmed potentials regulate surface-oxygen coverage, increasing 1-hexene oxidation rates by up to 20-fold without compromising selectivity. The seminar will also highlight the theoretical basis for interpreting these behaviors. Rather than averaging dynamic operation by time or duty cycle alone, chemical sensitivities and effective driving forces can be understood through the extent of reaction occurring in each energetic state. This framework connects measurable charge transfer, surface kinetics, and waveform timescales to the rational design of dynamic catalytic protocols. Together, these studies position programmable catalysis as a route to more active, efficient, and adaptable chemical transformations.

Bio: Omar Abdelrahman is an associate professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Houston, where he serves as the chief digitization officer, Special Advisor to the Dean of the Cullen College of Engineering, and a team leader in the center for programmable energy catalysis (CPEC), an energy frontier research center under the department of Energy. In the broader catalysis and reaction engineering community, he currently serves as President of the southwest catalysis society (SWCS) and as a director of the AIChE catalysis and reaction engineering (CRE) division. Originally from Egypt, Omar grew up in the Middle East (United Arab Emirates), where he received his BSc in Chemical Engineering (American University of Sharjah, 2011), before moving to Syracuse University for his PhD in Chemical Engineering (2016), followed by a postdoctoral position at the University of Minnesota. The Abdelrahman lab’s focus is heterogeneous catalysis, with an emphasis on understanding and controlling non-ideal thermodynamic environments for catalytic chemical transformations. The group has helped developed the concept of programmable catalysis, achieving resonance with the catalytic kinetics of various catalytic chemistries through temporally programmed non-thermal energetic stimuli. The group is also committed to advancing accessible and affordable science, through developing and disseminating experimental designs aimed at lowering the barrier to entry into catalysis research.