Open-Ended, N-Doped Carbon Nanotube-Graphene Hybrid Nanostructures as High-Performance Catalyst Support

A hierarchical N‐doped carbon nanotube‐graphene hybrid nanostructure (NCNT‐GHN), in which the graphene layers are distributed inside the CNT inner cavities, was designed to efficiently support noble metal (e.g., PtRu) nanoparticles. Well‐dispersed PtRu nanoparticles with diameters of 2–4 nm were immobilized onto these NCNT‐GHN supports by a low‐temperature chemical reduction method without any pretreatment. Compared to conventional CNTs and commercial catalysts. a much better catalytic performance was achieved by a synergistic effect of the hierarchical structure (graphene‐CNT hybrid) and electronic modulation (N‐doping) during the methanol electrooxidation reaction. Improved single‐cell performances with long‐term stability are also demonstrated using NCNT‐GHN as catalyst support. A hierarchical N‐doped carbon nanotube–graphene hybrid nanostructure (NCNT‐GHN), in which the graphene layers are distributed inside the inner cavities of open‐ended CNTs, is designed to support noble metal (e.g., PtRu) nanoparticles via a convenient and efficient low‐temperature chemical reduction route. A synergy enhancement of the hierarchical structure (graphene–CNT hybrid) and electron structure modulation (N‐doping) is demonstrated during the methanol electrooxidation reaction, and improved single‐cell performances with better long‐term operation stability are obtained.