Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were directly grown on a carbon cloth (DGCNTs) as catalyst supports applied in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The iron nanoparticles were deposited on a carbon cloth as the assisted catalysts for the CNT growth. The DGCNTs were synthesized by the microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition in the gaseous precursors of H2/CH4/N2. The diameter of DGCNT was ca. 10 – 20 nm and the structure was bamboo-like. Subsequently, Pt and Ru nanoparticles were deposited on DGCNTs (Pt-Ru/DGCNT) by the sputtering method. The formation of Pt-Ru nanoparticles were the high-degree alloy and the particle size were ca. 3.54nm. For the membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) fabrication, the 0.2 mg-cm^(-2) metal-loading of Pt-Ru/DGCNT and the 4.0mg-cm^(-2) of Pt blacks were employed as the anode and cathode, respectively, which the Nafion117 as the membrane was sandwiched in between two electrodes. The polarization curve of MEA was examined by feeding 1M methanol and purity oxygen to anode and cathode, respectively, which the maximum power density was 1.52 W-Pt-mg^(-1) at 60℃. The low amount of precious metal loaded on DGCNTs applied in a MEA shows a high performance, which is suitable for a DMFC.
