Oxygen Reduction Reaction at Single Entity Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes.

The electrocatalysis of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in aqueous base (0.1 M KOH) by multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is studied at the single entity level. Electroactive surface functionality is shown to facilitate significant electrocatalysis leading to peroxide formation which is seen to occur at lower potentials as compared to the voltammetric responses obtained at bare carbon macroelectrodes and at such electrodes modified with layers of carbon nanotubes.