On-chip power generation: Microfluidic-based reactor for catalytic combustion of methanol

In this paper, a batch of microfluidic-based reactors with integrated micropillars was fabricated on silicon wafer with standard optical lithography and deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) technique. A Bosch process of DIRE was used to obtain ∼ 85 μm etching depth and undulating sidewall profiles on the surface of those micropillars. Such structures boost surface-areato- volume-ratio as well as enhance heat and mass transfer co-efficients. Platinum (Pt) nanoparticles (NPs) stabilized by polyacrylate sodium in a water-ethonal-based suspension were deposited on the reactor surface using a surface-selective infiltration method. By introducing methanol vapor/air gas mixture into the reactors, stable catalytic combustion of methanol over Pt NPs starting from room temperature can be achieved.