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Chinese scientists have developed membranes that could improve direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). DMFCs oxidise methanol to produce small amounts of electricity over long periods, making them ideal as portable power supplies. A vital component of DMFCs is the membrane, which separates the two reactions of the cell while allowing protons to move between them. But sometimes unreacted methanol can also pass through the membrane, which reduces the fuel efficiency and performance. 'This methanol cross-over is an Achilles' heel for the implementation of the DMFC,' says Yohannes Kiros, an expert in fuel cells and energy at the Royal Institute of Technology,...

SHARP HAS unveiled a high density, 0.3Wcc direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), which boasts the highest level of power density yet achieved. The diminutive cell volume, whose tiny frame measures 50 x 30 mm, has a longer lifespan than commonly used lithium ion batteries and is well matched for notebooks, mobile equipment and even electronic dictionaries. Sharp showed off the device at the 15th Fuel Cell Symposium in Tokyo. At 0.3Wcc the cell's power density is about seven times more than Sharp’s previous attempt. Fuel cells use energy produced by the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, and are claimed...