# US 7,744,830 B2 · Catalyst for microelectromechanical systems microreactors

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- Number: US 7,744,830 B2
- Document ID: US7744830B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/119,047
- Filed: 2005-04-28
- Published: 2006-03-16
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2005-04-28
- Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
- Inventors: Jeffrey D. Morse; David A. Sopchak; Ravindra S. Upadhye; John G. Reynolds; Joseph H. Satcher; Alex E. Gash
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744830B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/0618: {Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming}
- B01J 19/0093: {Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors (laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027)}
- B01J 21/185: {Carbon nanotubes (carbon nanotubes per se C01B32/15)}
- B01J 37/0215: {Coating}
- B81B 3/0094: {Constitution or structural means for improving or controlling physical properties not provided for in B81B3/0067 - B81B3/0091}
- B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
- C01B 3/326: characterised by the catalysts
- C01B 3/583: {the reaction being the selective oxidation of carbon monoxide}
- H01M 4/8825: {Methods for deposition of the catalytic active composition}
- H01M 4/9016: {Oxides, hydroxides or oxygenated metallic salts}
- H01M 4/96: Carbon-based electrodes
- H01M 8/0204: Non-porous and characterised by the material
- H01M 8/0228: in the form of layered or coated products
- H01M 8/0247: characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258)
- H01M 8/0625: {in a modular combined reactor/fuel cell structure}
- H01M 8/0631: {Reactor construction specially adapted for combination reactor/fuel cell (hydrogen C01B3/00; reactors for physicochemical processes B01J19/00)}
- B01J 23/755: Nickel
- B01J 23/80: with zinc, cadmium or mercury
- B01J 37/0203: {the impregnation liquid containing organic compounds}
- B01J 37/0242: {Coating followed by impregnation}
- B01J 37/036: {to form a gel or a cogel}
- B01J 2219/00783: Laminate assemblies, i.e. the reactor comprising a stack of plates
- B01J 2219/00822: Metal
- B01J 2219/00824: Ceramic
- B01J 2219/00828: Silicon wafers or plates
- B01J 2219/00831: Glass
- B01J 2219/00835: Comprising catalytically active material
- B01J 2219/00873: Heat exchange
- B81B 2201/051: Micromixers, microreactors
- B81B 2203/0338: Channels
- B81C 2201/0197: Processes for making multi-layered devices not provided for in groups B81C2201/0176 - B81C2201/0192
- C01B 2203/0233: the reforming step being a steam reforming step
- C01B 2203/044: Selective oxidation of carbon monoxide
- C01B 2203/047: the impurity being carbon monoxide
- C01B 2203/1005: Arrangement or shape of catalyst
- H01M 8/0215: Glass; Ceramic materials
- H01M 2250/30: Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
- Y02B 90/10: Applications of fuel cells in buildings
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02P 20/52: using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00)
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A microreactor comprising a silicon wafer, a multiplicity of microchannels in the silicon wafer, and a catalyst coating the microchannels. In one embodiment the catalyst coating the microchannels comprises a nanostructured material. In another embodiment the catalyst coating the microchannels comprises an aerogel. In another embodiment the catalyst coating the microchannels comprises a solgel. In another embodiment the catalyst coating the microchannels comprises carbon nanotubes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A microreactor apparatus, comprising:
a silicon chip, said silicon chip forming
a silicon microreactor body,
a silicon microchannel array in said silicon microreactor body,
a multiplicity of channels in said silicon microchannel array in said silicon microreactor body, wherein said multiplicity of channels each have a pressure drop,
an inlet in said silicon microreactor body, said inlet connected to said channels,
an outlet in said silicon microreactor body, said outlet connected to said channels,
said inlet, said outlet, and said channels arranged in a symmetrical layout resulting in said pressure drop in each of said channels being an equivalent pressure drop, and
a catalyst coating said channels wherein said catalyst coating said microchannels comprises a nanostructured material that is composed of 10 to 50 Å spherical subunits.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises a nanostructured material that is composed of 10 to 50 Å spherical subunits organized into a three dimensional porous arrays with high surface area and porosity.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises an aerogel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises a solgel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises an aerogel of zirconia, or alumina, or ceria, or calcia or silica, and combinations of zirconia, or alumina, or ceria, or calcia or silica.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises a Ni-silica aerogel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises a CuZnO-alumina aerogel.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises zeolites.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 1 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises copper, zinc, zirconium, nickel, chromium, cobalt, cerium, silicon, silica, titanium, and aluminum nitrates, acetates, chlorides, oxychlorides or other soluble salts, or oxides thereof.

### Claim 11

A microreactor apparatus, comprising:
a silicon wafer that forms a silicon microreactor body,
a silicon microchannel array in said silicon microreactor body,
a multiplicity of channels in said silicon microchannel array in said silicon microreactor body, wherein said multiplicity of channels each have a pressure drop,
an inlet in said silicon microractor body, said inlet connected to said channels,
an outlet in said microractor body, said outlet connected to said channels,
said inlet, said outlet, and said channels arranged in a symmetrical layout resulting in said pressure drop in each of said channels being an equivalent pressure drop,
a substrate over said microchannels, and
a catalyst coating said channels wherein said catalyst coating said microchannels comprises a nanostructured material that is composed of 10 to 50 Å spherical subunits.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said substrate and said silicon wafer are bonded.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said substrate and said silicon wafer are bonded by anodic bonding.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said substrate and said silicon wafer are bonded by fusion bonding.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said substrate is a silicon wafer substrate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said substrate is a glass substrate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises a nanostructured material that is composed of 10 to 50 Å spherical subunits organized into a three dimensional porous arrays with high surface area and porosity.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises an aerogel.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said catalyst coating said microchannels comprises a solgel.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises an aerogel of zirconia, or alumina, or ceria, or calcia or silica, and combinations of zirconia, or alumina, or ceria, or calcia or silica.

### Claim 21 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises a Ni-silica aerogel.

### Claim 22 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises a CuZnO-alumina aerogel.

### Claim 23 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 24 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises carbon aerogels.

### Claim 25 (depends on 11)

The microreactor apparatus of claim 11 wherein said catalyst coating said channels comprises a coating of copper, or zinc, or zirconium, or nickel, or chromium, or cobalt, or cerium, or silicon, or silica, or titanium, or aluminum nitrates, acetates, chlorides, oxychlorides or other soluble salts, or oxides thereof.