A miniature direct methanol fuel cell using platinum sputtered microcolumn electrodes with limited amount of fuel

We present a miniature direct methanol fuel cell (micro-DFMC) using platinum sputtered microcolumn electrodes (rugged electrode) with limited amount of fuel. We use the rugged electrode in order to improve the power density of the micro-DMFC that consists two electrodes and polymer electrolyte. We also design the built-in fuel chamber in the anode for portable electronics applications. We design and fabricate both rugged and planar electrodes, having an identical projective area of 5 mm × 5 mm. We compare the characteristics of the rugged and planar electrodes as well as the rugged electrode micro-DMFC and planar electrodes micro-DMFC. The rugged electrode shows 1.73 times larger diffusion current density than that from planar electrode at electrode potential of 1.1 V in half cell test. The rugged electrode micro-DMFC shows the maximum power of 24.8 μW (122.4 μW/cm²) at 0.65V and the projective area of 5 mm × 5 mm, while planar electrode micro-DMFC shows the maximum power of 1.1 μW (5.6 μW/cm²) at voltage of 0.08 V and same projective area.