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Field-Programmable Dynamic Catalytic Technology to Make Catalyst Intelligent
Haoran Zhang1,2, Yuen Wu1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry/School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
Precision Chemistry
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Field-Programmable Dynamic Catalysis (PDC) offers real-time control over catalyst atomic structures, optimizing reactions like methane oxidation. This approach enables intelligent chemical control, paving the way for new catalytic applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Catalysis
Background:
- Conventional heterogeneous catalysts possess static structures, limiting their adaptability for complex, multistep reactions.
- The need for dynamic and responsive catalytic materials is critical for advancing chemical synthesis and small molecule activation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce Field-Programmable Dynamic Catalysis (PDC) as a novel paradigm for real-time, reversible control of catalyst atomic structures.
- Demonstrate the potential of PDC to optimize catalytic performance and control reaction pathways.
Main Methods:
- Utilized copper-based liquid metal catalysts to show adaptive restructuring for methane oxidation.
- Employed magnetically tunable iron-based catalysts to demonstrate reversible switching between dispersed and clustered states.
Main Results:
- Achieved optimized methane oxidation performance through adaptive restructuring of copper catalysts.
- Successfully demonstrated on-demand control over reaction pathways by switching iron catalysts between states.
- Validated the potential of PDC for inert small molecule activation, such as nitrogen conversion.
Conclusions:
- PDC transforms catalysts into active information-processing systems for precise atomic-scale chemical control.
- Artificial intelligence is crucial for accelerating the discovery and development of advanced PDC catalysts.
- Future work should focus on increasing liquid metal surface area and designing scalable reactors for PDC applications.
Keywords:
active site reconfigurationartificial intelligencefield-programmable dynamic catalysisinert molecule activationliquid metalmagnetic field regulationprecision-intelligent catalysisMore Related Videos
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