A new setup using microfabricated silicon reactors for studying high-temperature partial oxidation reactions is described in this paper. Methane oxidation is chosen as a test reaction. The system is completely safe to operate due to the small size and the temperature is easy to control even for the highly exothermic reaction. The activation energy obtained for full oxidation of methane on Pd/Al2O3 catalyst is similar to the values reported in the literature for the case of oxidized Pd particles. The simplicity of depositing the catalyst, bonding and mounting the microreactor, gives a fast, safe, and easy way for reliable catalyst screening in studying partial oxidation reactions. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.