Bamboo-shaped carbon nanotubes with a large number of pentagon defects introduced into the walls were explored as supports for highly-loaded Pt-Ru catalysts, as compared with conventional carbon nanotubes and carbon black. Using ethylene glycol reduction, Pt-Ru catalysts with a high loading (60wt%) and uniform particle size of 2 to 3nm were uniformly deposited onto bamboo-shaped carbon nanotubes, while 60wt% Pt-Ru catalysts on carbon nanotubes resulted in significant agglomeration. The Pt-Ru/nanotube catalyst exhibited the highest activity. Such enhancement was largely attributed to an enhanced interaction of the introduced pentagon defects with Pt-Ru, which could promote high loading and dispersion of Pt-Ru catalysts and charge transfer from the Pt-Ru to the tubes.

High Loading of Pt-Ru Nanocatalysts by Pentagon Defects Introduced in a Bamboo-Shaped Carbon Nanotube Support for High Performance Anode of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells. L.Gan, R.Lv, H.Du, B.Li, F.Kang: Electrochemistry Communications, 2009, 11[2], 355-8