A chemical processing microsystem useful for identifying and optimizing materials
(e.g., catalysts) that enhance chemical processes or for characterizing and/or
optimizing chemical processes is disclosed. The chemical processing microsystem
comprises a plurality of microreactors 600 and, in a preferred embodiment,
a plurality of microseparators 900 integral with the chemical processing
microsystem 10. The microreactors 600 are preferably diffusion-mixed
microreactors formed in a plurality of laminae that include a modular, interchangeable
candidate-material array 100. The material array 100 comprises a
plurality of different candidate materials (e.g., catalysts), preferably arranged
at separate, individually addressable portions of a substrate (e.g., wafer). The
microseparators 900 are similarly formed in a plurality of laminae that
include a modular, interchangeable adsorbent array 700. The adsorbent array
700 comprises one or more adsorbents, preferably arranged at separate, individually
addressable portions of a substrate to spatially correspond to the plurality of
different candidate materials. Modular microfluidic distribution systems are also
disclosed. The chemical processing microsystem can be integrated into a material
evaluation system that enables a comprehensive combinatorial material science research program.
