SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES WITH CONFINED CHALCOGENS AS THE CATALYSTS AND ELECTRODES FOR OXYGEN REDUCTION REACTION IN FUEL CELLS THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO SYNTHESIZE AND CHARACTERIZE THE PROPOSED S@SWNTS AND SE@SWNTS ORR CATALYSTS, UNDERSTAND THEIR FUNDAMENTAL ELECTRONIC STRUCTURES AND THE RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR CATALYTIC ACTIVITY, AND EVALUATE THE ORR ACTIVITY AND DURABILITY IN MEAS FOR PEMFCS. THE OBJECTIVES FOCUS IN THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH AREAS: (1) SYNTHESIS OF THE PROPOSED S@SWNTS AND SE@SWNT MATERIALS CONSTRUCTED WITH SWNTS OF ENRICHED INDIVIDUAL CHIRALITIES IN THE RANGE OF DIAMETERS 0.8 TO 1.1 NM; (2) FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE AND CATALYTIC ACTIVITY USING SPECTROSCOPIC, MICROSCOPIC, AND THEORETICAL STUDIES; (3) INVESTIGATING THE CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF S@SWNTS AND SE@SWNTS VIA ELECTROCHEMICAL ANALYSIS COMBINED WITH SPECTROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION; AND (4) FABRICATING INTEGRATED ELECTRODES AND EVALUATING THEIR CATALYTIC ACTIVITY AND DURABILITY FOR ORR IN PEMFCS.