Nanocomposite for fuel cell, method of preparing the nanocomposite, and fuel cell including the nanocomposite

A method of preparing a carbon nanofiber for a fuel cell electrode, the method comprising:

• hydrolyzing a surface of a carbon nanofiber precursor with a hydroxide solution having a concentration from 0.0001-1 M to form a hydrolyzed carbon nanofiber precursor;
• washing the hydrolyzed carbon nanofiber precursor with a hydrochloric acid solution;
• and
• sintering the washed carbon nanofiber precursor to obtain a carbon nanofiber.

A nanocomposite for a fuel cell electrode comprising:

• a carbon nanofiber;
• and
• metal catalyst particles uniformly applied to the surface of the carbon nanofiber,
• wherein the carbon nanofiber has a surface oxygen content of at least 0.03, calculated using Formula 1 using atomic percentages of oxygen and carbon, respectively calculated from an area of an oxygen peak having a binding energy from 524 to 540 eV, an area of a nitrogen peak having a binding energy from 392 to 404 eV, and an area of a carbon peak having a binding energy from 282 to 290 eV in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy:
• Oxygen content=[atomic percentage of oxygen/atomic percentage of carbon]. Formula 1