Recent Progress in Anodic Nanocatalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells: A Critical Review

Due to the environmental issues coming from growing energy demand and excessive usage of fossil fuels, direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) have received significant interest as a green and renewable alternative to conventional energy sources. However, the high cost and lack of adequate efficiency are two main barriers hindering the utilization of DMFCs. Therefore, the development of cost‐effective and highly efficient catalysts is of great importance to promote the large‐scale application of fuel cell technology. This review article presents the recent advancements in anodic nanocatalysts for the electrooxidation of methanol in DMFCs. The structure and electrocatalytic activity of different nanocatalysts, including platinum‐based catalysts, platinum‐based alloys, nonplatinum catalysts , and their supports, are discussed in this review. Moreover, the long‐term stability and electrocatalytic efficiency of the studied catalysts for the methanol oxidation reaction are discussed.