Investigation of Mixed MeOH:EtOH Ratio and Air Supply on MEA Performance in Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell (DAFC)
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Abstract
Methanol (MeOH) and ethanol (EtOH) are commonly used fuels in Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells (DAFC). The advantages of these two fuels are influenced by electrochemical reactions centered around the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA). In this study, Pt/C catalyst was used on the cathode and Pt-Ru/C on the anode, with catalyst loadings of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mg/cm2. The anode and cathode were characterized using Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), while the conductivity properties were evaluated through Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) of the MEA in a single DAFC cell reached 0.65 V, with the highest value observed at a MeOH:EtOH volume ratio of 70:30 at concentrations of 3 M for MeOH and 2 M for EtOH. In addition to oxidation at the anode, oxygen reduction plays a significant role in the MEA performance on the cathode side. The oxygen supply to the cathode increased the power density by 52.17% at the optimal blower voltage of 5 V.
References
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Pan, Y., H. Liu, J. Liu, L. Wen, K. Lao, S. Li, X. Fang, H. Wang, H. B. Tao, and N. Zheng (2024). Probing Current Density Distribution Over a Catalyst Layer at the Micrometer Scale in a Water Electrolyzer. Catalysis Science and Technology, 14(6); 1480–1487
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Rohendi, D., E. H. Majlan, D. H. Yulianti, Juwita, N. Syarif, A. Rachmat, A. Sumboja, F. S. Nyimas, and I. Amelia (2024). Performance of Membrane Electrode Assembly Using Pt/C and CoFe/N-C Catalysts in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, 28(2); 388–396
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Samad, S., K. S. Loh, W. Y. Wong, T. K. Lee, J. Sunarso, S. T. Chong, and W. R. Wan Daud (2018). Carbon and Non-Carbon Support Materials for Platinum-Based Catalysts in Fuel Cells. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 43(16); 7823–7854
Sung, M., H. Yi, J. Han, J. B. Lee, and S. Yoon (2025). Carbon Nanofiber-Reinforced Carbon Black Support for Enhancing the Durability of Catalysts Used in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Against Carbon Corrosion. Membranes, 15(3); 1–16
Takahashi, Y., H. Semizo, and Y. Matsuo (2024). Power Generation Characteristics and Optimum Alcohol Concentration in Bio-Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell Using Chitin Family Electrolyte. Chemical Physics Impact, 8; 1–8
Wallnöfer-Ogris, E., I. Grimmer, M. Ranz, M. Höglinger, S. Kartusch, J. Rauh, M. G. Macherhammer, B. Grabner, and A. Trattner (2024). A Review on Understanding and Identifying Degradation Mechanisms in PEM Water Electrolysis Cells: Insights for Stack Application, Development, and Research. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 65; 381–397
Wang, Q., Y. W. Zhou, Z. Jin, C. Chen, H. Li, and W. B. Cai (2021). Alternative Aqueous Phase Synthesis of a PtRu/C Electrocatalyst for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells. Catalysts, 11(8); 1–14
Xie, Z., L. Tian, W. Zhang, Q. Ma, L. Xing, Q. Xu, L. Khotseng, and H. Su (2021). Enhanced Low-Humidity Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell by Incorporating Phosphoric Acid-Loaded Covalent Organic Framework in Anode Catalyst Layer. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46(18); 10903–10912
Yahya, N., S. K. Kamarudin, N. A. Karim, M. S. Masdar, K. S. Loh, and K. L. Lim (2019). Durability and Performance of Direct Glycerol Fuel Cell with Palladium-Aurum/Vapor Grown Carbon Nanofiber Support. Energy Conversion and Management, 188; 120–130
Yulianti, D. H., D. Rohendi, N. Syarif, and A. Rachmat (2020). Characterization of Electrode with Various of Pt-Ru/C Catalyst Loading and the Performance Test of Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) in Passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC). Key Engineering Materials, 840; 558–565
Zakaria, Z., S. K. Kamarudin, and K. A. A. Wahid (2023). Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Modification in Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells: An Update. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 140(4); 1–20
Zhang, X., Z. Yang, and J. Chen (2024). Performance Analysis and Optimum Design of a Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell Fueled With Mixed Alcohols. Journal of Energy Resources Technology, Part A: Sustainable and Renewable Energy, 1(1); 1–11
Berretti, E., L. Osmieri, V. Baglio, H. A. Miller, J. Filippi, F. Vizza, M. Santamaria, S. Specchia, C. Santoro, and A. Lavacchi (2023). Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells: A Comparative Review of Acidic and Alkaline Systems. Electrochemical Energy Reviews, 6(1); 1–50
Bishnoi, P., K. Mishra, S. S. Siwal, V. K. Gupta, and V. K. Thakur (2024). Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell for Clean Electric Energy: Unravelling the Role of Electrode Materials for a Sustainable Future. Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research, 5(6); 1–37
Cammarata, A. and L. Mastropasqua (2023). Theoretical Analysis of Mixed Open-Circuit Potential for High Temperature Electrochemical Cells Electrodes. Frontiers in Energy Research, 11; 1–8
Che Ramli, Z. A., J. Pasupuleti, A. M. Zainoodin, N. F. H. Nik Zaiman, K. N. Ahmad, N. F. Raduwan, Y. N. Yusoff, W. N. R. Wan Isahak, T. S. Tengku Saharuddin, and S. T. Kiong (2024). Unlocking the Potential of Pt-Based and Metal Oxides Catalysts in Liquid Fuel Cells Technologies: Performance and Challenges. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 15(12); 1–31
Chen, J., L. Sun, W. Zhu, H. Pei, L. Xing, and Z. Tu (2024). Influence of Cathode Air Supply Mode on the Performance of an Open Cathode Air-Cooled Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Stack. Applied Thermal Engineering, 243; 1–9
Dehghani Sanij, F. and H. Gharibi (2018). Preparation of Bimetallic Alloyed Palladium-Nickel Electro-Catalysts Supported on Carbon with Superior Catalytic Performance Towards Oxygen Reduction Reaction. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 538; 429–442
Fadzillah, D. M., S. K. Kamarudin, M. A. Zainoodin, and M. S. Masdar (2019). Critical Challenges in the System Development of Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells as Portable Power Supplies: An Overview. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 44(5); 3031–3054
Gagliardi, G. G., A. El-Kharouf, and D. Borello (2023). Assessment of Innovative Graphene Oxide Composite Membranes for the Improvement of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells Performance. Fuel, 345; 1–10
Gandomi, Y. A., D. S. Aaron, Z. B. Nolan, A. Ahmadi, and M. M. Mench (2020). Direct Measurement of Crossover and Interfacial Resistance of Ion-Exchange Membranes in All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries. Membranes, 10(6); 1–21
Gupta, U. K. and H. Pramanik (2019). Electrooxidation Study of Pure Ethanol/Methanol and Their Mixture for the Application in Direct Alcohol Alkaline Fuel Cells (DAAFCs). International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 44(1); 421–435
Hu, Z., L. Xu, Q. Gan, X. Du, W. Dai, Q. Wang, W. Zheng, Y. Ding, J. Li, and M. Ouyang (2021). Carbon Corrosion Induced Fuel Cell Accelerated Degradation Warning: From Mechanism to Diagnosis. Electrochimica Acta, 389; 1–10
Jing, F., R. Sun, S. Wang, H. Sun, and G. Sun (2020). Effect of the Anode Structure on the Stability of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell. Energy and Fuels, 34(3); 3850–3857
Kang, D. G., C. Park, I. S. Lim, S. H. Choi, D. K. Lee, and M. S. Kim (2020). Performance Enhancement of Air-Cooled Open Cathode Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell with Inserting Metal Foam in the Cathode Side. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 45(51); 27622–27631
Kim, S., M. Her, Y. Kim, C. Y. Ahn, S. Park, Y. H. Cho, and Y. E. Sung (2021). The Impact of the Catalyst Layer Structure on the Performance of Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. Electrochimica Acta, 400; 1–10
Kreider, M. E., H. Yu, L. Osmieri, M. R. Parimuha, K. S. Reeves, D. H. Marin, R. T. Hannagan, E. K. Volk, T. F. Jaramillo, J. L. Young, P. Zelenay, and S. M. Alia (2024). Understanding the Effects of Anode Catalyst Conductivity and Loading on Catalyst Layer Utilization and Performance for Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis. ACS Catalysis, 14(14); 10806–10819
Li, Z., X. Qi, C. Liu, B. Fan, and X. Yang (2023). Particle Size Effect of PTFE on Friction and Wear Properties of Glass Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Resin Composites. Wear, 532–533; 1–12
Liu, X., G. Jiang, Y. Tan, S. Luo, M. Xu, Y. Jia, P. Lu, and Y. He (2020). Highly-Dispersed Ruthenium Precursors: Via a Self-Assembly-Assisted Synthesis of Uniform Ruthenium Nanoparticles for Superior Hydrogen Evolution Reaction. RSC Advances, 10(24); 14313–14316
Martínez-Hincapié, R., J. Wegner, M. U. Anwar, A. Raza-Khan, S. Franzka, S. Kleszczynski, and V. Čolić (2024). The Determination of the Electrochemically Active Surface Area and Its Effects on the Electrocatalytic Properties of Structured Nickel Electrodes Produced by Additive Manufacturing. Electrochimica Acta, 476; 1–10
Pan, Y., H. Liu, J. Liu, L. Wen, K. Lao, S. Li, X. Fang, H. Wang, H. B. Tao, and N. Zheng (2024). Probing Current Density Distribution Over a Catalyst Layer at the Micrometer Scale in a Water Electrolyzer. Catalysis Science and Technology, 14(6); 1480–1487
Rashidi, S., N. Karimi, B. Sunden, K. C. Kim, A. G. Olabi, and O. Mahian (2022). Progress and Challenges on the Thermal Management of Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Technologies: Fuel Cells, Electrolysers, and Supercapacitors. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 88; 1–50
Rohendi, D., E. H. Majlan, D. H. Yulianti, Juwita, N. Syarif, A. Rachmat, A. Sumboja, F. S. Nyimas, and I. Amelia (2024). Performance of Membrane Electrode Assembly Using Pt/C and CoFe/N-C Catalysts in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, 28(2); 388–396
Rohendi, D., N. F. Sya’baniah, E. H. Majlan, N. Syarif, A. Rachmat, D. H. Yulianti, I. Amelia, D. Ardiyanta, I. Mahendra, and R. W. H. Erliana (2023). The Electrochemical Conversion of CO₂ into Methanol with KHCO₃ Electrolyte Using Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA). Science and Technology Indonesia, 8(4); 632–639
Samad, S., K. S. Loh, W. Y. Wong, T. K. Lee, J. Sunarso, S. T. Chong, and W. R. Wan Daud (2018). Carbon and Non-Carbon Support Materials for Platinum-Based Catalysts in Fuel Cells. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 43(16); 7823–7854
Sung, M., H. Yi, J. Han, J. B. Lee, and S. Yoon (2025). Carbon Nanofiber-Reinforced Carbon Black Support for Enhancing the Durability of Catalysts Used in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Against Carbon Corrosion. Membranes, 15(3); 1–16
Takahashi, Y., H. Semizo, and Y. Matsuo (2024). Power Generation Characteristics and Optimum Alcohol Concentration in Bio-Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell Using Chitin Family Electrolyte. Chemical Physics Impact, 8; 1–8
Wallnöfer-Ogris, E., I. Grimmer, M. Ranz, M. Höglinger, S. Kartusch, J. Rauh, M. G. Macherhammer, B. Grabner, and A. Trattner (2024). A Review on Understanding and Identifying Degradation Mechanisms in PEM Water Electrolysis Cells: Insights for Stack Application, Development, and Research. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 65; 381–397
Wang, Q., Y. W. Zhou, Z. Jin, C. Chen, H. Li, and W. B. Cai (2021). Alternative Aqueous Phase Synthesis of a PtRu/C Electrocatalyst for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells. Catalysts, 11(8); 1–14
Xie, Z., L. Tian, W. Zhang, Q. Ma, L. Xing, Q. Xu, L. Khotseng, and H. Su (2021). Enhanced Low-Humidity Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell by Incorporating Phosphoric Acid-Loaded Covalent Organic Framework in Anode Catalyst Layer. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46(18); 10903–10912
Yahya, N., S. K. Kamarudin, N. A. Karim, M. S. Masdar, K. S. Loh, and K. L. Lim (2019). Durability and Performance of Direct Glycerol Fuel Cell with Palladium-Aurum/Vapor Grown Carbon Nanofiber Support. Energy Conversion and Management, 188; 120–130
Yulianti, D. H., D. Rohendi, N. Syarif, and A. Rachmat (2020). Characterization of Electrode with Various of Pt-Ru/C Catalyst Loading and the Performance Test of Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) in Passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC). Key Engineering Materials, 840; 558–565
Zakaria, Z., S. K. Kamarudin, and K. A. A. Wahid (2023). Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Modification in Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells: An Update. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 140(4); 1–20
Zhang, X., Z. Yang, and J. Chen (2024). Performance Analysis and Optimum Design of a Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell Fueled With Mixed Alcohols. Journal of Energy Resources Technology, Part A: Sustainable and Renewable Energy, 1(1); 1–11
Authors
Yulianti, D. H., Rohendi, D., Majlan, E. H. ., Rachmat, A. ., & Sya’baniah, N. F. . (2025). Investigation of Mixed MeOH:EtOH Ratio and Air Supply on MEA Performance in Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell (DAFC). Science and Technology Indonesia, 10(4), 1012–1019. https://doi.org/10.26554/sti.2025.10.4.1012-1019
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