Radiation activation and screening of catalyst libraries for catalyst evaluation and reactors therefor

摘要

Rapid screening for activities and selectivities of catalyst libraries having addressable test sites is achieved by contacting potential catalysts at the test sites with reactant gas to form product plumes at the addressable test sites. The product plumes are screened by passing a radiation beam of an energy level to promote formation of specified photoions and photoelectrons that are detected in real time by microelectrode collection in situ in proximity to the respective addressable test site. The product plumes may be screened row by row, or all product plumes emanating from an entire catalyst library may be simultaneously screened. A microreactor suitable for the above process comprises an inert substrate body (70); a reactor passageway extending from a first opening on one side of the substrate body to a second opening on the opposite side of the substrate body; a reaction zone (72) in the central portion of the reactor passageway to enable contact of reactants with a catalyst in the reaction zone; a reactant zone of the reactor passageway extending from the reaction zone serving as a reactant feed passage (71); a product zone of the reactor passageway extending from the reaction zone to the second opening serving as a product exit passage (75); a radiation beam passageway (76) extending through the substrate body substantially perpendicular to and intersecting the product zone, wherein the radiation beam passageway has radiation beam access windows providing passage of a radiation beam (77) and fluid isolation of the radiation passageway from the product zone; and a microelectrode (78) in the product zone in proximity to the intersection of the radiation beam passageway with the product zone.