Direct type polymer electrolyte fuel cells using methoxy fuel

Direct type polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) using methoxy fuels such as methanol, dimethyl ether (DME), dimethoxy methan (DMM) and trimethoxy methan (TMM) were investigated. The performances of the direct DMM fuel cell and the direct TMM fuel cell were almost equal to that of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The performance of the direct DME fuel cell using Pt-Ru catalyst on the anode was lower than that of the other methoxy fuel cells. Decomposition species from the DMM and TMM fuel cells contained large quantities of methanol. The former also contained formaldehyde, while the latter contained formic acid, as expected from hydrolysis of the fuels. Decomposition species from the DME fuel cell did not contain methanol and formaldehyde but contain formic acid, the quantity of which increased with current.