Merck, 34860-4X4L-R, Methanol

Methanol is an organic solvent that can be synthesized from syngas in the presence of CuO/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalysts. It is an ideal candidate as a hydrogen source in fuel cell technology due to its high H/C ratio, low propensity for soot generation, relatively low reforming temperature and as it exists in liquid state at room temperature. In a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), methanol undergoes oxidation with air to generate electricity. The olefins (ethylene or propylene) formed from methanol via MTO (methanol-to-olefins) process, can be an alternate to oil and gas to produce hydrocarbon fuels.