A novel anode catalyst (PtRu/NCNHs) assembled with nitrogen-doped carbon nanohorns (NCNHs) and PtRu nanoparticles (1.9 nm) exhibits an obvious enhancement in the tolerance to carbonaceous intermediates and the electocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in comparison to a commercial PtRu/C-JM catalyst and a home-made PtRu/Vulcan catalyst. The MOR mass activity of PtRu/NCNHs (850 mA mg(-1) (ptRu)) is 2.5 times as high as that of PtRu/C-JM (341 mA mg-1 (ptRu)). The MOR specific activity of PtRu/NCNHs is 1.8 times as high as that of PtRu/Vulcan having similar Pt/Ru atomic ratios, specific electrochemical surface areas and particle sizes of PtRu NPs. The electronic interaction between PtRu NPs and NCNHs is responsible for the enhancement in the MOR activity of PtRu/NCNHs. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.