TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRONICS - Preferred Components: The fuel cell has a cathode having a hydrophobic surface to prevent cathode flooding. The fuel cell comprises: (a) an enclosed fuel cell having an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, where the anode chamber is separated from the cathode chamber by a porous separator that allows the free transfer of liquids and ions between the chambers and has an average pore diameter of 10-100 nm; (b) the anode chamber comprises an anode electrode having a catalyst on it, and a mixture of fuel and an electrolyte; and (c) the cathode chamber comprises a hydrophobic coated cathode electrode having a catalyst on it and oxygen gas; and where the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are electrically connected to leads for current flow, and where the enclosed fuel cell is capable of producing at least 10 mA/cm2 of electrode area. Preferred Process: In generating power in the fuel cell and for forming acetate or formate or oxalate through the incomplete oxidation of ethanol or methanol or ethylene glycol or glycerol, the fuel cell has a cathode having a hydrophobic surface to prevent cathode flooding. The fuel mixture further comprises an electrolyte where the electrolyte is selected from a base, an acid, a non-aqueous base, a non-aqueous acid. Alternatively, generating power in the fuel cell with a carbon-based fuel and preventing carbon release comprises: (a) providing one or a set of fuel cells, where each fuel cell comprises: (i) an enclosed fuel cell having an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, where the anode chamber is separated from the cathode chamber by a porous separator that allows the free transfer of liquids and ions between the chambers; (ii) the anode chamber comprises an anode electrode having a catalyst on it, a mixture of fuel and an electrolyte, a fuel inlet and a spent fuel outlet; and (iii) the cathode chamber comprises a hydrophobic coated cathode electrode having a catalyst on it and oxygen gas; and where the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are electrically connected to leads for current flow, and where the enclosed fuel cell is capable of producing at least 10 mA/cm2; (b) providing a primary alcohol fuel added to the inlet of the anode chamber and a spent fuel obtained through the outlet of the anode chamber, where the spent fuel is substantially a carboxylic moiety from the primary alcohol; (c) obtaining corresponding carboxylic acids from the spent fuel outlet of the anode chamber; (d) feeding the carboxylic acids from the spent fuel outlet of the anode chamber to a gasifier that functions as an anaerobic combustion chamber to provide waste hydroxide salts and syngas; and (e) forming primary alcohol from the syngas. The spent fuel is recirculated back to the inlet of the anode chamber in case additional primary alcohol was not completely converted to its corresponding carboxylic acid. Preferred System: In the closed loop system, where the carbon source is selected from solid hydrocarbons, coal, coal dust, liquid hydrocarbons, alkane gases, and combinations. The fuel cells are connected in a parallel configuration or a combination parallel and serial configuration. The output of each fuel cell is tied together to a single input in a gasifier. The fuel cell outputs are scrubbed to remove any sulfur oxide (SOx), nitrogen oxide (NOx) or heavy metals contained in the carboxylic acid stream produced. The one or set of inputs for the gasifier provide an inlet for carbon source, carboxylic acids and optionally air, where the air input is shut when anaerobic combustion is required and the air input is open for aerobic combustion to produce heat and make electric power from heat.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: In the process, the primary alcohol or polyol is selected from methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, glycerol, 1,6-dihydroxy hexane, and combinations or mixtures, where the primary alcohol is selected from methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol and combinations. The primary alcohol or polyol is mixed with base to form a fuel in electrolyte for the fuel cell. Preferred Parameters: The fuel comprises a primary alcohol or polyol at a concentration of 5-100% (by volume). The concentration of alcohol or polyol is 10-50% by volume.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The coated electrode cathode is coated by a hydrophobic polymer selected from polyamides, polyimides, fluoropolymers, organo-substituted silica, organo-substituted titania, and combinations.