Direct methanol fuel cell

One of the drawbacks of the DMFC is that the low-temperature oxidation of methanol to hydrogen ions and carbon dioxide requires a more active catalyst, which typically means a larger quantity of expensive platinum catalyst is required than in conventional PEMFCs. This increased cost is, however, expected to be more than outweighed by the convenience of using a liquid fuel and the ability to function without a reforming unit. One other concern driving the development of alcohol-based fuel cells is the fact that methanol is toxic. Therefore, some companies have embarked on developing a Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell (DEFC). The performance of the DEFC is currently about half that of the DMFC, but this gap is expected to narrow with further development.