Patent ID: 6426226
Filing Date: 2002-07-30
Classification: B01J,C40B,G01N,H01J,Y10T

Abstract:
A microreactor and sampling probe system for mass spectrometric and microelectrode screening of catalytic and potential catalytic reaction products, said system comprising; a plurality of addressable microreactors, each microreactor comprising, an inert substrate body, a reactor passageway extending from a first opening on one side of said substrate body to a second opening on an opposite side of said substrate body, a reaction zone in a central portion of said reactor passageway serving as a reaction zone for contact of reactants with a catalyst in said reaction zone, a reactant zone of said reactor passageway extending from said reaction zone to said first opening and serving as a reactant feed passage, and a product zone of said reactor passageway extending from said reaction zone to said second opening and serving as a product exit passage; a tubular sampling probe comprising at one end a sampling orifice forming a free jet expansion stream into a substantially expanded chamber of at least one vacuum stage and an open opposite end connectable to an inlet orifice of a mass spectrometer; a radiation beam passageway extending through said substrate body generally perpendicular to and intersecting said product zone, said radiation beam passageway having radiation beam access windows providing passage of a radiation beam and fluid isolation of said radiation beam passageway from said product zone; a microelectrode in said product zone in proximity to the intersection of said radiation beam passageway with said product zone; and a translation mechanism capable of placing said sampling orifice of said tubular sampling probe in proximity to said product exit passage of a first addressable single microreactor for a sampling mode and rapidly translating to position said sampling orifice in a position in proximity to the product exit passage of a second addressable single microreactor for a sampling mode of said second microreactor.