Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and stripping voltammetry were used to study the electro-oxidation of dimethyl ether (DME) on powder microelectrodes (PMEs) containing Pt black and Pt-Ru black. As evidenced by current-time curves of DME oxidation, Pt-Ru was better than Pt in catalytic oxidation of DME, which is due to the high concentration of OHads species on its surface. Results also showed that high temperature not only promotes the oxidation of DME, but also increases the concentration of OHads species formed by water decomposition. In addition, the performance of single direct DME fuel cell was investigated combined with gas chromatographic (GC) analyses of its anode outlet stream. Based on CV tests, a mechanism of DME indicating two kinds of DME adsorption modes, Pt-CO and electro-oxidation was tentatively proposed, Pt-COH existed oil Pt surface. (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.