Parallel synthesis and fast screening of heterogeneous catalysts

We are presenting an effective method to prepare and test heterogeneous cat alysts much faster than by the conventional way. A catalyst array was prepa red via an incipient wetness method by combination of different amounts of Pt, Zr, and V on Al2O3 by means of an automatic liquid handler. For catalyt ic testing for methane oxidation a ceramic monolith reactor module, the cha nnels of which contain the different catalyst compositions, was developed i n which up to 250 catalyst compositions can be prepared and tested in paral lel. Gas samples from each channel of the monolith were analysed sequential ly by a mass spectrometer by moving the QMS inlet capillary into the channe ls using a three-dimensional positioning system which works at high tempera tures. By comparison of the testing results with experiments carried out in flow reactors it is shown that the monolithic reactor is an efficient tool for fast screening of heterogeneous catalysts.