Research on spatially resolved combinatorially complex chemical systems can profit enormously from micro- and nanoscale devices. In addition to volume miniaturization, which allows many combinatorial samples to be handled simultaneously, microsystems allow us to exploit the many advantages of flow reactors for basic research and applications:
• steady-state chemical reactions
• spatial resolution maintained with resource renewal
• kinetics of reactions can be mapped spatially
• rapid processes can be analyzed down to microseconds
• controlled diffusive mixing from laminar flows
• continuous sampling and in-line product analysis
• reaction cascading through many serial modules
• perturbation analysis of ongoing reactions
In addition, our MEMS technology allows us to electronically regulate, trigger and clock chemical processes under microscopic computerized control. In contrast with common open microchip technology, microflow systems require sealed microchannel reactor networks.
Electronic microflow systems are an enabling technology for evolutionary self-organizing systems.