Performance of the Direct Methanol Carbonate Fuel Cell Using Anion Exchange Materials and Non‐Noble Metal Cathode Catalyst

A direct methanol fuel cell using a mixture of O₂ and CO₂ at the cathode was evaluated using anion exchange materials and cathode catalysts of Pt and a non‐Pt catalyst. The MEA based on non‐noble metal catalyst Acta 4020 showed superior performance than Pt/C based MEA in terms of open circuit potential and power density in carbonate environment. The fuel cell performance was improved by applying anion exchange ionomer in the catalyst layer. A maximum power density of 4.5 mW cm^–2 was achieved at 50 °C using 6.0 M methanol and 2.0 M K₂CO₃.