Patent ID: 6984363

Claim:
A chemical reactor for a catalytic chemical reaction with at least one gas phase reactant, said chemical reactor comprising: (a) at least one reactor microchannel having at least one wall defining a bulk flow path through which said at least one gas phase reactant can pass; (b) a catalyst structure wherein said at least one gas phase reactant can contact said catalyst structure and react to form at least one product, wherein said catalyst structure comprises; (c) a porous material having a first porosity that permits molecular diffusion therein, said porous material having a length, a width and a thickness, and a porous surface area, said porous material defining at least a portion of said at least one wall of said at least one reactor microchannel; wherein said porous material has a porosity such that when at least one reactant enters said bulk flow path in said at least one reactor microchannel and flows past and in contact with said porous material, a portion of said at least one reactant molecularly diffuses transversely into the catalyst structure and said at least one product molecularly diffuses transversely out of the catalyst structure into the bulk flow path and passes from said reactor.