Reversible and irreversible loss in performance in direct methanol fuel cells during freeze/thaw cycles

► Investigate the degradation of the DMFC performance during 100 freeze/thaw cycles. ► Reversible and irreversible losses in DMFC performance were identified. ► A method was put forward to recover the reversible loss in performance. ► The voltage @ 100 mA cm−2 dropped 16 mV experienced 100 F/T cycles after recovered.