Professor Dato' Ir Dr Abdul Rahman is an expert in the area of catalysis with multidisciplinary fields including nanocatalysis, environmental catalysis and photocatalysis. He with his group has successfully developed a competent technology for the production of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) and hydrogen from natural gas. This research has scored a breakthrough in nanotechnology field. His research outcomes has been patented and disseminated in more than 300 research papers in the national and international journals and presented at numerous professional society meetings. He has also supervised more than 50 post-graduate students.

His inventions and research findings has earned various prestigious awards from national and international organizations namely the 13th & 14th International Invention, Innovation, Industrial Design and Technology Exhibition; 33rd International Exhibition of Invention, New Techniques and Products of Geneva; Gold Medal in International Exhibition of Ideas, Inventions and Innovation Trade Fair 2009 and Anugerah Saintis Cemerlang 2005. He has also received several grants from MOSTI, FELDA, Japanese International Cooperation Agency, The Sumitomo Foundation (Japan), ASEAN University Network–Southeast Asia Engineering Education Development Network and Cradle Fund.

He actively involves in various national and international committees on research, education and service to the community. He has been appointed as a consultant to various agencies. He is currently the technical committee member of National Nanotechnology Initiatives for planning and coordinating the nanotechnology R&D programs in Malaysia. Apart from this, he has organized several international events such as the Pollutants Release Transfer Registers Workshop under the United Nations Environment Program. He has been invited as journal reviewer and member of editorial board for various international and national journals.