Carbon Vulcan XC72 is still considered as the standard catalyst Support in gas diffusion electrodes for low temperature polymer fuel cell applications. Because of its relatively low specific area and poor corrosion resistance, alternative materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are currently the focus of numerous investigations. This work reports on the test of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTSs) as Pt and PtRU catalyst support in the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) anode. After the treatment of the CNTs in air at 300 degrees C or in a high concentrated nitric acid solution, power densities of 152 and 157 mW cm(-2) have been reached under DMFC conditions at 2 bar(abs) and 80 degrees C. The anodic and cathodic Pt loadings amounted to 1 mg cm(-2). The performance of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with a PtRu-SWCNT anode was about 10-15% higher than that of the MEA with a conventional as-prepared PtRu-Vulcan XC72 system. This was principally ascribed to higher catalyst utilization, lower impedance, and methanol crossover of the carbon-nanotube-based electrodes compared to those of the carbon-Vulcan-based one, (C) 2009 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3196246] All rights reserved.