Development and characterization of tubular direct methanol fuel cells for use in in situ NMR analysis

► A tubular DMFC has been developed for use in in situ NMR. ► Performance and durability of the DMFC were improved by employing corrosion-resistant cell components. ► The reasons for the performance decay were analyzed by using various analytical tools. ► The in situ NMR with a tubular DMFC presented a high resolution for CD3OH and D2O.