A microreactor is a reactor with a microscopic reaction space.

The non-reaction site components of a microreactor—such as flow paths and drive units—can be large.

The efficiency of the chemical reaction in a reactor is determined by the frequency of molecular collisions and the energy supplied to the system.

With a microscopic reaction space, the movement distance of the molecules and the heat is small, allowing for an increased molecular collision frequency and faster movement of heat.

This makes it possible to achieve high-speed mixing, high-speed heat exchange, high-speed diffusion, precision flow control, and other benefits.

Microreactors also boast improved reaction selectivity and yield in addition to enabling processes that would not be possible on a normal scale due to risks of runaway reactions.

In consideration of the diffusion of molecules in the microscopic reaction space, a flow path (reaction field) with a width of 100 μm is generally standard for effective extraction of the effects of molecular diffusion.