In this paper, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were modified by ethylene diamine (ED) and then used as the support of the Pt-Ru catalyst. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to study the interaction between ED and CNTs. The morphology and elemental composition of the as-prepared Pt-Ru/ED/CNT electrode were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The electrocatalytic properties of the Pt-Ru/ED/CNT electrode for methanol electro-oxidation were investigated by CV, polarization method and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The long-term stability of the Pt-Ru/ED/CNT electrode was also evaluated. Compared with the Pt-Ru/CNT electrode, the Pt-Ru/ED/CNT electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic properties and long-term stability. These results show that the ED-grafted CNTs are the promising catalyst support for methanol electro-oxidation. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.