The interaction between evaporated Pt and pristine or oxygen-plasma-treated multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is investigated. Pt is found to nucleate at defect sites, whether initially present or introduced by oxygen plasma treatment. The plasma treatment induces a uniform dispersion of Pt nanoparticles at the CNT surface. The absence of additional features in the C 1s core level spectrum indicates that no mixed Pt-C phase is formed. The formation of C-O-Pt bonds at the cluster-CNT interface is suggested to reduce the electronic interaction between Pt nanoparticles and the CNT surface. (c) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.