The electrooxidation behavior of dimethyl ether (DME) dissolved in acidic, neutral or alkaline anolyte has been studied. The cyclic voltammetry measurements reveal that DME in alkaline anolyte demonstrates higher electrooxidation reactivity than that in acidic or neutral anolyte. With increasing the NaOH concentration in the anolyte, the electrooxidation reactivity of DME can be further improved. Direct dimethyl ether fuel cells (DDFCs) are assembled by using Nation membrane as the electrolyte, Pt/C as the cathode catalyst, and Pt-Ru/C as the anode catalyst. It is found that the use of alkaline anolyte can significantly improve the performance of DDFCs. A maximum power density of 60 mW cm(-2) has been achieved when operating the DDFC at 80 degrees C under ambient pressure. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.