A facile and general approach for the direct fabrication of 3D, vertically aligned carbon nanotube array/transition metal oxide composites as non-Pt catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions.

A simple and effective strategy involving nebulized ethanol assisted infiltration for the general synthesis of 3D structure-based vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays (VACNTs) uniformly and deeply decorated with various transition-metal oxide (MOs) has been developed. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the 3D structure-based VACNTs with decorated MnO2 can exhibit superior electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction activity, long-term stability, and an excellent resistance to crossover effects compared to the commercial Pt/C catalyst.