Ayman Karim

Ayman Karim is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech, specializing in heterogeneous catalysis for energy and environmental applications. His research focuses on designing advanced catalysts through controlled nanoparticle synthesis and in situ/operando characterization techniques. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Mexico (2007), an M.S. from the same institution (2003), and a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Cairo University, Egypt (2000).

Research Interests:

• Heterogeneous catalysis for energy and environmental applications
• Catalyst design and synthesis
• Colloidal nanoparticles synthesis
• Microfluidics
• Single-atom catalysts for shale gas conversion
• Solvent-catalyst cooperative effects in biomass conversion

Research Overview: His group investigates atomic-scale nanoparticle synthesis, supported single-atom catalysts for light alkane conversion, and solvent effects in catalysis. Key areas include:

• Microfluidics-enabled controlled nanoparticle growth
• Single-atom catalysts for selective shale gas utilization
• Understanding solvent interactions with catalyst surfaces

Publications: Recent work emphasizes single-atom catalyst design, Pt/Rh/TiO2 systems, and CO oxidation mechanisms. Key themes include structure-sensitivity, ligand dynamics, and operando characterization techniques.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Karim Research Group at Virginia Tech, focusing on catalytic innovation for energy sustainability. Collaborates with the Synchrotron Catalysis Consortium and other institutions for advanced characterization.