preferably catalysts having characteristic dimensions ranging from about 5 nanometers to about 1 millimeter are employed still more preferably catalysts having characteristic dimensions ranging from about 100 nanometers to about 100 microns are employed the catalyst loading of a fibrous catalyst immobilization system can make up from about 0 01 to about 99 weight of the fibrous system preferably catalytic loading makes up from about 0 1 to about 10 weight of the fibrous system and more preferably catalytic loading makes up from about 1 to about 10 weight of the fibrous system fibers employed in the present invention can comprise a variety of fiber forming materials which include any polymer that can be dissolved in a solvent preferably a polymer that retains its mechanical strength while swollen within solvents reactants or reaction products is employed because of its durability under conventional chemical process operating conditions more preferably polymeric fiber forming materials are employed in synthesizing fibers that can be crosslinked into a strong network after they are processed into a fiber examples of useful fiber forming materials include but are not limited to polymers such as nylon polyacrylonitrile pan polyesters polyurethanes silanes or copolymers thereof the percent concentration of fiber forming material in a fibrous catalyst immobilization system can make up from about 1 to about 99 weight of the system preferably fiber forming material makes up from about 20 to about 80 weight of the system more preferably fiber forming material makes up from about 40 to about 75 weight of the system useful fibers have a diameter ranging from about 1 nanometer to about 25 microns preferably the fibers.