Anode Catalysts and Cathode Catalysts of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) appears to be one of the most promising systems of various fuel cells, due to their simple structure, high energy density, easy transportation and environment friendly. The activity and stability of the anode and cathode catalysts determine the performance and stability of DMFC. Platinum (Pt) has the highest activity toward both anodic and cathodic reactions. However, the low abundance and high cost of commercial platinum catalyst hinder the widespread application of DMFC. Therefore, developing non-platinum catalysts is of great significance to the wide application of DMFC. Although researchers have made great progress in non-platinum catalysts research in recent years, the activity and stability of non-platinum catalysts still need further improvement to meet the requirements of commercial application. In this review article, the research progresses anode and cathode catalysts for direct methanol fuel cell in recent years are summarized. The development of the Pt-based and Pt-free anode and cathode catalysts of DMFC is described in detail, respectively. Besides, the synergistic effect from strong interaction between Pt-based catalyst and catalyst supports is also discussed. Finally, the further development in the anode and cathode catalysts of DMFC is expected.