Description:

While network analysis is commonly applied to biological and social systems, understanding the impact of network coupling on self-organized structures remains a challenging problem—particularly in engineered systems where complex interactions and constraints play a central role. In this talk, we present a network-based framework for describing coupling in electrochemical systems, where charge-transfer reactions are influenced by ionic migration and external controls. We investigate various mechanisms that give rise to network topologies in such systems, including coupling through resistors, externally applied delayed feedback, and potential gradients in flow channels within lab-on-chip devices that host spatially organized electrode arrays. The underlying interaction networks are uncovered by analyzing synchronization patterns emerging from oscillatory chemical reactions, and further validated using phase model analysis. Notably, we highlight cases where higher-order interactions—beyond simple pairwise coupling—are essential to accurately capture the observed synchronization dynamics. These scenarios can give rise to emergent structures such as hypernetworks, revealing a richer layer of collective behavior. Our findings open new directions for leveraging network and hypernetwork-based models to describe and engineer complex systems characterized by heterogeneous frequencies and nonlinear interactions.

Dr. Kiss earned his MS and PhD degrees in Chemistry from the University of Debrecen, Hungary. He worked as a Research Scientist at the University of Virginia's Department of Chemical Engineering before joining Saint Louis University's Chemistry Department, where he serves now as Eugene Kranz Professor of Chemistry. Dr. Kiss is recognized as an expert in the study of chemical reaction networks and nonlinear dynamics in far-from-equilibrium systems. Dr. Kiss has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals, including Science, Nature, and Physical Review Letters. His accolades include a Cottrell College Science Award (2008), an NSF CAREER Award (2010), American Chemical Society St Louis Award, and leadership of the 2019 Gordon Research Conference on Oscillations. Dr. Kiss has received multiple awards from Saint Louis University, including a Research Institute Fellowship in 2022.

Istvan Kiss, Professor of Chemistry, Saint Louis University 

Host: Adilson Motter