Methanol-rusistant oxygen-reduction catalysts for direct methanol fuel celms

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 inn 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