Direct
methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) offer significant promise for
compact gadgets, cars, and immobile power sources toward the simple
storage of wet fuel as one of the effective alternative power sources,
with minimal environmental effects and elevated energy density. Various
basic and technical problems, such as slow methanol electrooxidation,
methanol crossover, cathode oversupply, and high precious metal usage,
prevent the commercialization of DMFCs. Metal–organic frameworks
(MOFs) possess multiple benefits, such as very substantial surface-to-volume
ratios and the potential to be functionalized with multivalent ligands
and metal centers to improve fuel cell avidity. MOFs’ unique
characteristics as energy materials have been put to good use in the
development of high-performance DMFCs. This review highlights, provides
insight into, and discusses the future potential role and approach
of MOFs and their obtained materials in designing an efficient DMFC,
as well as a mechanistic approach to MOFs in DMFCs. Additionally,
in this review, methods for resolving these problems that have been
reported in recent years toward the commercialization of DMFCs are
discussed. Additionally, the progress of an economical, simple, and
more structured DMFC, including a MOF catalyst as an evergreen requirement,
is mentioned.