A mixed-reactants solid-polymer-electrolyte direct methanol fuel cell

Mixed-reactants solid-polymer-electrolyte direct methanol fuel cells (SPE-DMFCs) with a PtRu/C anode and a methanol-tolerant oxygen-reduction cathode catalyst have been assembled and have been subjected to galvanostatic polarisation studies. The oxygen-reduction cathode was either of the FeTMPP/C, CoTMPP/C, FeCoTMPP/C and RuSe/C. It was found that the SPE-DMFC with the RuSe/C cathode yielded the best performance. It has been possible to achieve power densities of approximately 50 and 20 mW/cm2 while operating a mixed-reactants SPE-DMFC at 90 °C with oxygen and air fed cathodes, respectively. Interestingly, these SPE-DMFCs exhibit no parasitic oxidation of methanol with oxygen.