Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are grown on metal catalysts and electrochemical treatment is used to remove the metal catalyst residuals from the as-grown CNFs. For comparison, the CNFs are also purified by a chemical method and a thermal method. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) properties of CNFs purified by these three methods are examined by cyclic voltammetry. CNFs treated by the electrochemical method have a more positive ORR onset reduction potential and peak potential compared with those treated by chemical and thermal methods, and this is because the microstructures of CNFs are less changed by electrochemical method. However, they have a lower electrochemical capacity and ORR peak current than those treated by the chemical method. Cyclic voltammetric measurements at different scan rates confirm that the oxygen reductions on CNFs treated by electrochemical and chemical methods are controlled by diffusion, while on CNFs treated by thermal method is partially influenced by diffusion. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.