TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The PSL comprises a first side that faces the fuel channel plate and a second side corrugated with a continuous flow field (2) that faces the GDL. The second side of the PSL comprises an open end configured to expel carbon dioxide and residual liquid or gas generated in the DOFC. The porosity of the PSL is 20-77%. The PSL is: configured to allow liquid fuel to enter the PSL but gaseous carbon dioxide is blocked from entering the PSL; and hydrophilic, where at least one side of the PSL is coated with a hydrophilic agent comprising a polar or charged functional group, and is insoluble in water and methanol. The GDL comprises two layers sandwiching a catalyst coated membrane.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The DOFC fuel is methanol.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The hydrophilic agent is polysulfones, polyether sulfones, polyether ether ketones, polyether ketones, polyimides, poly(4-phenoxybenzoyl-1,4-phenylene), polyethers, polybenzimidazoles, polybenzothiazoles, polybenzoxazoles, silica dioxide or titanium dioxide. EXAMPLE - Anode electrode was prepared having a phase separation layer (PSL). The PSL sublayer was made of plain porous carbon paper by creating a flow field. The fuel channel was a signal path serpentine channel. The width of the channel was 1.5-2.5 (preferably 1.85-2.3) mm. The depth of the channel was 225-175 (preferably 200-185) mu m, and another PSL sublayer not having a flow field was made of plain porous carbon paper having a porosity of 80% coated on its surface with a NAFION (RTM: Sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer)/carbon thin layer. The thickness of the coating was 10-100 mu m. This PSL was then integrated into a direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC) with a hydrocarbon membrane of electrode area of 12 cm2. The DOFC cell included a NAFION 212 (RTM: Sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer) membrane and an electrode area of 12 cm2. Wet-proofed TGPH- 90 (RTM: Carbon paper) (10 wt.%) was used as a gas diffusion layer (GDL). To make a NAFION (RTM: Sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer)/carbon surface layer for PSL, a paste was made of mixing Vulcan XC-72R (RTM: Carbon powder), NAFION (RTM: Sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer) solution (5 wt.%), iso-propanol, and de-ionized water. The paste was then cast onto the surface of sublayer of PSL to form a thin surface layer (15 mu m), following by drying at 100 degrees C for 1 hour.