Methanol-Resistant Oxygen-Reduction Catalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Methanol oxidation in the cathode compartment of the fuel cell, which occurs during the oxygen-reduction reaction on Pt-based cathodes, constitutes a significant performance loss in the direct methanol fuel cells. Over the past decade, four types of methanol-resistant oxygen-reduction catalysts have been developed to circumvent this problem. Among these, transition-metal chalcogenides, and in particular RuSe, have shown effective selectivity to oxygen-reduction reaction in the presence of methanol. These catalysts not only can enhance the performance of the conventional direct methanol fuel cells but also could provide a route to develop mixed-reactants direct methanol fuel cells, which could be highly cost-effective in comparison with the conventional direct methanol fuel cells. This article is a brief update on the preparation, characterization, and implications of methanol-resistant oxygen-reduction catalysts.