They could be used in place of the familiar battery. Some possibilities for fuel cell powered devices include portable consumer electronics such as laptops and phones. As the number of these devices has grown, so has environmental concern about battery use and disposal. Many consumers are already familiar with rechargeable batteries and have used them as an alternative to buying batteries only to toss them in the trash in a few weeks or months when they run down. Many tech watchers believe that methanol fuel cells will eventually replace batteries altogether.

Fuel cells do not require recharging. When the power runs down, the old fuel cartridge is swapped out for a new one. Scientists are working on ways to make methanol fuel cells the everyday item that batteries are today.

Recent research out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows the possibility of improvement in the manufacture of methanol fuel cells, thanks to a new membrane that has been developed. This new thin film is makes for increased efficiency and therefore greater power output for the fuel cell, so it would run for a longer time between refuelings.