{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,4]],"date-time":"2026-04-04T04:59:48Z","timestamp":1775278788878,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,31]],"date-time":"2026-03-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774915200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["62563017"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["62563017"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects","award":["202401AT070391"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202401AT070391"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nanomaterials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The sole use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as single-electrode carriers in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) creates structural disparities that increase resistance, impair catalyst utilization, and limit discharge duration. This study presents a novel dual-electrode CNT-based carrier structure designed to enhance mass transport and electron conduction, thereby improving DMFC power output and durability. The CNTs were grown in situ via nitrogen sintering onto the microporous layer, with parameters optimized to enhance surface morphology and conductivity. The impact of this dual-electrode CNT carrier was evaluated through microstructural characterization, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical performance testing, and service life assessment. Results demonstrate that the structure improves catalyst dispersion, electrochemical active surface area (ECSA), and charge transfer efficiency, while reducing ohmic resistance and charge transfer impedance. Compared to traditional carbon black (CB) carriers, peak power increased by 51.06%. Under China Light Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) conditions, discharge duration increased by a factor of 1.7, indicating higher energy efficiency. These improvements are attributed to the dual-electrode architecture\u2019s synergistic enhancement of proton transport, balanced electrochemical kinetics, and reduced interfacial resistance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nano16070430","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T10:09:21Z","timestamp":1775038161000},"page":"430","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Improvement of Catalyst Layers in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells Using Dual-Electrode Carbon Nanotube Carrier Structure"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-4601-7897","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bo","family":"Yang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Information Engineering and Automation, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China"},{"name":"Yunnan Key Lab of Computer Technology Applications, Kunming 650500, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xuejiao","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Information Engineering and Automation, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3614-6605","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dacheng","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Information Engineering and Automation, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China"},{"name":"Yunnan Key Lab of Green Energy, Electric Power Measurement Digitalization, Control and Protection, Kunming 650500, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8789-3435","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zhengang","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Information Engineering and Automation, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China"},{"name":"Yunnan Key Lab of Green Energy, Electric Power Measurement Digitalization, Control and Protection, Kunming 650500, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"361","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-021-03482-7","article-title":"Designing the next generation of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells","volume":"595","author":"Jiao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Madhav, D., Wang, J., Keloth, R., Mus, J., Buysschaert, F., and Vandeginste, V. 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