Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFCs) offer advantages from quick refills to the elimination of recharge times. They show the most potential in efficient chemical to electrical energy conversion, but currently one major source of inefficiency within the DMFC system is the electrolyte allowing fuel to cross over from the anode to cathode. Proprietary DuPont Nafion 117 has been the standard polymer electrolyte thus far for all meso-scale direct methanol power conversion systems, and its shortcomings consist primarily of slow anodic reaction rates and fuel crossover resulting in lower voltage generation or "mixed potential."
Porous Silicon (P-Si) is traditionally used in photovoltaic and photoluminescence applications but rarely used as a mechanical filter or membrane. P-Si is hypothesized to be a viable alternative for proton exchange membranes, serving as a functioning electrolyte to transfer ions from the anode to cathode of a DMFC.
Figure 1: Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Schematic
Figure 2: Design verification using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)