RARE DISEASE
Methanol poisoning
Methanol poisoning
Methanol poisoning
Drug discovery
2
drugs
With orphan designations
Overview
Methanol Poisoning Overview
Methanol toxicity arises from its metabolism to formic acid, causing severe metabolic acidosis, visual disturbances (often permanent blindness), and multisystem organ failure [6][10][12]. Symptoms manifest after 12–24 hours, including gastrointestinal distress, CNS depression, and metabolic derangements [6][12]. Critical interventions involve antidotes (fomepizole or ethanol) to inhibit alcohol dehydrogenase, sodium bicarbonate for acidosis, and hemodialysis for toxin removal [1][10][13]. Mortality exceeds 20% in untreated cases, with survivors frequently experiencing long-term neurological or visual sequelae [4][17].
Population
Primarily affects adults in low-resource settings via contaminated alcohol consumption; outbreaks disproportionately impact manual laborers and marginalized communities [2][14].
Incidence peaks during mass poisoning events (e.g., 2024 Tamil Nadu outbreak: 225 cases, 65 deaths) [2][17].
Intentional ingestion accounts for 44% of U.S. cases, often involving younger populations [4].
Burden
Mortality: 6.5% in hospitalized U.S. cases; exceeds 40% in global outbreaks without rapid treatment [4][17].
Morbidity: Permanent blindness in 8–30% of survivors; renal/respiratory failure in 20–40% [4][6][10].
Economic impact: Mean U.S. hospitalization costs reach $43,222 per patient; outbreaks strain healthcare systems [4][17].
Categories: rare disorders due to toxic effects
Research Papers
597 drug discovery papers about Methanol poisoning, with 1 first-in-class and 1 next-in-class emerging drug candidates forecasted to outperform the average preclinical success rate. Recent publications:
597 drug discovery papers about Methanol poisoning, with 1 first-in-class and 1 next-in-class emerging drug candidates forecasted to outperform the average preclinical success rate. Recent publications:
2026-07-31 | PdNi/N-C dodecahedra with surface-enriched Pd for efficient methanol electro-oxidation in alkaline media.
The methanol electrooxidation reaction (MOR) is a key anodic process in direct methanol fuel cells, yet its practical application remains hindered by several critical challenges, including the high cost and limited reserves of noble metal catalysts, severe CO poisoning of active sites, and insufficient long-term durability. Herein we report a PdNi/N-C catalyst derived from ZIF-8 dodecahedra, featuring Pd-enriched surfaces on a nitrogen-doped carbon support. The unique architecture ensures high Pd utilization while the PdNi alloying effect, combined with the presence of excess Ni nanoparticles, promotes the bifunctional mechanism to effectively mitigate CO poisoning and enhance reaction kinetics. The catalyst delivers a mass activity of 6.20 A mg-1Pd for the MOR, which is 6.75 times higher than that of commercial Pd/C, along with significantly improved stability during accelerated durability tests. This work highlights the importance of support morphology and Pd surface enrichment in bimetallic catalyst design, offering a promising strategy for developing high-performance and cost-effective anode catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells.
2026-07-21 | Lattice-Expanded Pt Overlayer with Surface Pb Modulation on a PtPb Alloy toward High-Efficiency Methanol Oxidation.
The sluggish kinetics and poor stability of the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in platinum (Pt)-based materials are primarily attributed to the strong adsorption of carbon monoxide (CO), which hinders the application of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Herein, we demonstrate that a PtPb core/tensile strained Pt shell with surface Pb-modified nanosheets (PtPb@Pt@Pb NSs) alleviates the CO poisoning of Pt, thereby enhancing its MOR activity and durability. Benefiting from the lattice expansion of Pt and the surface Pb, PtPb@Pt@Pb NSs/C exhibits superior MOR activity and durability. Corresponding experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that both the lattice-stretched Pt shell and the surface Pb enhance the OH adsorption for oxidative removal of the adsorbed CO and weaken CO binding on Pt. Meanwhile, the synergistic effect between the tensile-strained Pt and surface Pb layer lowers the reaction energy barrier of the rate-determining step for MOR, thereby endowing it with excellent activity.
2026-07-09 | Carbon-Confined FeCo@Pt Nanocatalysts Derived from Metal-Organic Frameworks for Pt-Economical, High-Performance, and CO-Tolerant Methanol Electrooxidation.
A major challenge in developing direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) is to design Pt-based electrocatalysts that reduce Pt consumption while maintaining high activity, durability, and resistance to carbonaceous poisoning during the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). Herein, a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived confinement strategy is proposed to construct FeCo@Pt core-shell nanocatalysts embedded in nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NPC). This architecture integrates three key functions within one catalyst platform: an FeCo alloy core for electronic modulation of the Pt shell, a Pt-rich surface for efficient methanol oxidation, and an NPC matrix for nanoparticle confinement, structural stabilization, and accelerated mass/charge transport. Benefiting from this cooperative design, the optimized FeCo@Pt/NPC-T800-X15-t20 catalyst delivered a mass activity of 663.84 mA mgPt-1, which was 1.92 times that of commercial Pt/C. It maintained a current density 5.81 times higher than that of Pt/C after 3600 s of operation. CO-stripping measurements further revealed a 66 mV negative shift in the CO oxidation peak, indicating enhanced oxidative removal of CO-like intermediates. Moreover, in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) provided direct mechanistic evidence for the enhanced formation of OHads species, the generation of C-OH and *COOH intermediates, and the suppression of the accumulation of linearly adsorbed CO on Pt sites during MOR. These results demonstrate that the FeCo core facilitates the formation and spillover of oxygenated species, while the electronic interaction between FeCo and Pt weakens CO adsorption, thereby accelerating COads oxidation and improving poisoning resistance. This work highlights the effectiveness of coupling alloy-core modulation, Pt-shell utilization, and MOF-derived carbon confinement for developing Pt-economical, CO-tolerant, and durable MOR electrocatalysts.
2026-07-08 | Macro- andMesoporous Graphene-MXene ArchitecturesDecorated with Rhodium Nanocrystals for Methanol Oxidation Electrocatalysis
The development of advanced platinum-alternative anode catalysts with high catalytic activity and strong CO poison tolerance is of great significance to break through the technical bottleneck of the direct methanol fuel cell. Herein, we report the spatial construction of a rhodium-decorated three-dimensional macro- and mesoporous architecture built from holey graphene and holey Ti3C2Tx MXene (Rh/HG-HMX) through a combined oxidative-etching and solvothermal coassembly process. Such an exquisite structural design not only fully exposes the internal catalytically active sites as well as improves the mass transfer efficiency of reactants and products, but also affords strong interfacial interactions between metallic Rh and HG-HMX matrix to optimize their electronic structure, thus resulting in significant synergistic catalytic effects. Accordingly, the as-derived Rh/HG-HMX architecture exhibits excellent electrocatalytic methanol oxidation abilities in terms of a large electrochemically active surface area of 171.5 m2·g–1, a high mass activity of 2082.0 mA·mg–1, and dependable long-term durability, far exceeding those of traditional graphene and MXene-supported Rh catalysts as well as commercial Pt/C and Pd/C catalysts.
2026-07-08 | Macro- and Mesoporous Graphene-MXene Architectures Decorated with Rhodium Nanocrystals for Methanol Oxidation Electrocatalysis.
The development of advanced platinum-alternative anode catalysts with high catalytic activity and strong CO poison tolerance is of great significance to break through the technical bottleneck of the direct methanol fuel cell. Herein, we report the spatial construction of a rhodium-decorated three-dimensional macro- and mesoporous architecture built from holey graphene and holey Ti3C2Tx MXene (Rh/HG-HMX) through a combined oxidative-etching and solvothermal coassembly process. Such an exquisite structural design not only fully exposes the internal catalytically active sites as well as improves the mass transfer efficiency of reactants and products, but also affords strong interfacial interactions between metallic Rh and HG-HMX matrix to optimize their electronic structure, thus resulting in significant synergistic catalytic effects. Accordingly, the as-derived Rh/HG-HMX architecture exhibits excellent electrocatalytic methanol oxidation abilities in terms of a large electrochemically active surface area of 171.5 m2·g-1, a high mass activity of 2082.0 mA·mg-1, and dependable long-term durability, far exceeding those of traditional graphene and MXene-supported Rh catalysts as well as commercial Pt/C and Pd/C catalysts.
2026-07-31 | PdNi/N-C dodecahedra with surface-enriched Pd for efficient methanol electro-oxidation in alkaline media.
The methanol electrooxidation reaction (MOR) is a key anodic process in direct methanol fuel cells, yet its practical application remains hindered by several critical challenges, including the high cost and limited reserves of noble metal catalysts, severe CO poisoning of active sites, and insufficient long-term durability. Herein we report a PdNi/N-C catalyst derived from ZIF-8 dodecahedra, featuring Pd-enriched surfaces on a nitrogen-doped carbon support. The unique architecture ensures high Pd utilization while the PdNi alloying effect, combined with the presence of excess Ni nanoparticles, promotes the bifunctional mechanism to effectively mitigate CO poisoning and enhance reaction kinetics. The catalyst delivers a mass activity of 6.20 A mg-1Pd for the MOR, which is 6.75 times higher than that of commercial Pd/C, along with significantly improved stability during accelerated durability tests. This work highlights the importance of support morphology and Pd surface enrichment in bimetallic catalyst design, offering a promising strategy for developing high-performance and cost-effective anode catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells.
2026-07-21 | Lattice-Expanded Pt Overlayer with Surface Pb Modulation on a PtPb Alloy toward High-Efficiency Methanol Oxidation.
The sluggish kinetics and poor stability of the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in platinum (Pt)-based materials are primarily attributed to the strong adsorption of carbon monoxide (CO), which hinders the application of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Herein, we demonstrate that a PtPb core/tensile strained Pt shell with surface Pb-modified nanosheets (PtPb@Pt@Pb NSs) alleviates the CO poisoning of Pt, thereby enhancing its MOR activity and durability. Benefiting from the lattice expansion of Pt and the surface Pb, PtPb@Pt@Pb NSs/C exhibits superior MOR activity and durability. Corresponding experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that both the lattice-stretched Pt shell and the surface Pb enhance the OH adsorption for oxidative removal of the adsorbed CO and weaken CO binding on Pt. Meanwhile, the synergistic effect between the tensile-strained Pt and surface Pb layer lowers the reaction energy barrier of the rate-determining step for MOR, thereby endowing it with excellent activity.
2026-07-09 | Carbon-Confined FeCo@Pt Nanocatalysts Derived from Metal-Organic Frameworks for Pt-Economical, High-Performance, and CO-Tolerant Methanol Electrooxidation.
A major challenge in developing direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) is to design Pt-based electrocatalysts that reduce Pt consumption while maintaining high activity, durability, and resistance to carbonaceous poisoning during the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). Herein, a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived confinement strategy is proposed to construct FeCo@Pt core-shell nanocatalysts embedded in nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NPC). This architecture integrates three key functions within one catalyst platform: an FeCo alloy core for electronic modulation of the Pt shell, a Pt-rich surface for efficient methanol oxidation, and an NPC matrix for nanoparticle confinement, structural stabilization, and accelerated mass/charge transport. Benefiting from this cooperative design, the optimized FeCo@Pt/NPC-T800-X15-t20 catalyst delivered a mass activity of 663.84 mA mgPt-1, which was 1.92 times that of commercial Pt/C. It maintained a current density 5.81 times higher than that of Pt/C after 3600 s of operation. CO-stripping measurements further revealed a 66 mV negative shift in the CO oxidation peak, indicating enhanced oxidative removal of CO-like intermediates. Moreover, in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) provided direct mechanistic evidence for the enhanced formation of OHads species, the generation of C-OH and *COOH intermediates, and the suppression of the accumulation of linearly adsorbed CO on Pt sites during MOR. These results demonstrate that the FeCo core facilitates the formation and spillover of oxygenated species, while the electronic interaction between FeCo and Pt weakens CO adsorption, thereby accelerating COads oxidation and improving poisoning resistance. This work highlights the effectiveness of coupling alloy-core modulation, Pt-shell utilization, and MOF-derived carbon confinement for developing Pt-economical, CO-tolerant, and durable MOR electrocatalysts.
2026-07-08 | Macro- andMesoporous Graphene-MXene ArchitecturesDecorated with Rhodium Nanocrystals for Methanol Oxidation Electrocatalysis
The development of advanced platinum-alternative anode catalysts with high catalytic activity and strong CO poison tolerance is of great significance to break through the technical bottleneck of the direct methanol fuel cell. Herein, we report the spatial construction of a rhodium-decorated three-dimensional macro- and mesoporous architecture built from holey graphene and holey Ti3C2Tx MXene (Rh/HG-HMX) through a combined oxidative-etching and solvothermal coassembly process. Such an exquisite structural design not only fully exposes the internal catalytically active sites as well as improves the mass transfer efficiency of reactants and products, but also affords strong interfacial interactions between metallic Rh and HG-HMX matrix to optimize their electronic structure, thus resulting in significant synergistic catalytic effects. Accordingly, the as-derived Rh/HG-HMX architecture exhibits excellent electrocatalytic methanol oxidation abilities in terms of a large electrochemically active surface area of 171.5 m2·g–1, a high mass activity of 2082.0 mA·mg–1, and dependable long-term durability, far exceeding those of traditional graphene and MXene-supported Rh catalysts as well as commercial Pt/C and Pd/C catalysts.
2026-07-08 | Macro- and Mesoporous Graphene-MXene Architectures Decorated with Rhodium Nanocrystals for Methanol Oxidation Electrocatalysis.
The development of advanced platinum-alternative anode catalysts with high catalytic activity and strong CO poison tolerance is of great significance to break through the technical bottleneck of the direct methanol fuel cell. Herein, we report the spatial construction of a rhodium-decorated three-dimensional macro- and mesoporous architecture built from holey graphene and holey Ti3C2Tx MXene (Rh/HG-HMX) through a combined oxidative-etching and solvothermal coassembly process. Such an exquisite structural design not only fully exposes the internal catalytically active sites as well as improves the mass transfer efficiency of reactants and products, but also affords strong interfacial interactions between metallic Rh and HG-HMX matrix to optimize their electronic structure, thus resulting in significant synergistic catalytic effects. Accordingly, the as-derived Rh/HG-HMX architecture exhibits excellent electrocatalytic methanol oxidation abilities in terms of a large electrochemically active surface area of 171.5 m2·g-1, a high mass activity of 2082.0 mA·mg-1, and dependable long-term durability, far exceeding those of traditional graphene and MXene-supported Rh catalysts as well as commercial Pt/C and Pd/C catalysts.
Access all drug discovery papers and probability of success in trials forecasts:
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Drug Discovery Landscape
2 orphan drug designations for Methanol poisoning, including 1 approved therapy.
2 orphan drug designations for Methanol poisoning, including 1 approved therapy.
Drug | Therapy type | Regulator | Orphan designation | Approval | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
dehydrated alcohol | small molecules | FDA | 2020-07-10 | 2025-10-23 | BE Pharmaceuticals, LLC |
Fomepizole [Mepizol] | small molecules | EMA | 2001-05-30 | — | Idis Limited |
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