Microreaction technology is the logically consistent application of microsystem techniques in chemical reaction and process engineering. Miniaturization in this field is the strategy of success and requires the development of small, inexpensive, independent and versatile chemical reaction units. Microreaction technology is at present regarded as one of the fastest evolving and most promising disciplines in chemical engineering, combinatorial synthesis and analysis, pharmaceutical drug development and molecular biotechnology. A broad range of microstructurable materials is a prerequisite for microreaction technology and the development of microreactors goes hand in hand with the availability of a number of modem, versatile microfabrication technologies. Today, it is possible to manufacture tbree dimensional microstructures, almost without any restrictions with regard to design and choice of suitable materials, for various chemical applications -just in time to support the development of functional units for microreactors, e. g. micromixers, micro heat exchangers, micro extractors, units for phase transfer, reaction cham bers, intelligent fluidic control elements and microanalysis systems. The advantages of microreactors, e. g. the use of novel process routes, the re duction of reaction byproducts, the improvement of 'time to market', the high flexibility for all applications requiring modular solutions, have had a strong im pact on concepts of sustainable development. Many of the leading companies and research institutes in the world have recognized the tremendous possibilities of microreactor concepts and of their economic potential, and have thus initiated worldwide research and development activities."

IMRET 5 featured more than 80 oral and poster communications, covering the entire interdisciplinary field from design, production, modeling and characterization of microreactor devices to application of microstructured systems for production, energy and transportation, including many analytical and biological applications. A particularly strong topic was the investigation of the potential of microstructuring of reactors and systems components for process intensification. Perspectives of combining local, in situ, data acquisition with appropriate microstructuring of actuators and components within chemical and biological devices were explored in order to enhance process performance and facilitate process control.

The present book is the account of a workshop on Integrated Optics and Micro-Optics with Polymers held in spring 1992 at Mainz and organized by IMM Institute of Microtechnology GmbH, the Max Planck Institute of Poly mer Research, and the Institute of Applied Physics of Friedrich Schiller University at Jena. The field of Integrated Optics and Micro-Optics with Polymers is receiving growing interest from multiple sides. Among the important reasons are the potential of tailoring materials for a specific application, the easy and cheap availability of those materials, and the possibilities of mass fabrica tion with plastiCS. Accordingly, materials researchers, microtechnologists, process engineers, and device builders are active in this field. Their interest is fed from prospective applications of integrated or micro-optical devices and systems in telecommunication, sensors, optical switching and routing, and, in a more distant future, optical processing. The workshop succeeded to bring together more than 130 experimenta lists and theorists, physicists and chemists, device developers and users, materials researchers and process engineers, as well as polymer scien tists and those dealing with anorganic materials, coming from industry, research institutes, and universities."