Nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) were synthesized by modified chemical vapor deposition method using a novel two steps thermal technique. Pyridine was used as carbon and nitrogen source and ferrocene as catalyst for nanotubes growth. The effects of reactor temperature and carrier gas flow were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and linear scan voltammetry. Results show that the synthesis temperature and gas flow rate have influence on the physical, chemical and electrochemical properties of the nanostructures. Microscopy studies exhibit that synthesis temperature modify the length, yield and diameter of the N-CNTs. Transmission microscopy electron images show multiwalled carbon nanotubes with the typical bamboo like structures. High temperature and low flow rate generate more defects, as revealed by Raman analyses. N-CNTs synthesized at the highest temperature and flow rate show better electrocatalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction with promising lower onset potential and current densities up to 80% when compared to traditional Pt/C. The favorable performance is attributed to the higher nitrogen content and the type of nitrogen species, mainly pyrrolic and pyridinic incorporated in the carbon lattice. For the last decades, platinum (pure and Pt alloys) has been the best and well known electrocatalyst for the oxidation and reduction reactions in fuel cells. However, scarcity, high price and degradation of platinum as catalyst in fuel cell represent a challenge for commercial proposes.1,2 In recent years, there have been efforts to reduce the platinum loading, or even to eliminate it from the electrodes. It is therefore necessary to develop non-Pt catalytic materials available, cheap and electroactive to replace the precious metal. Carbon nanotubes doped with nitrogen (N-CNTs) have reached the point to become an alternative catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells cathode. 3 There have been many studies concerning the synthesis of carbon nanotubes doped with nitrogen atoms using different carbon-nitrogen precursors using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and having a good electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction. Alexeyeva 4 synthesized N-CNTs using acetonitrile as carbon and nitrogen sources. They studied the electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen with and without doped nanotubes in 0.5M H 2 SO 4 solution where the N-CNTs show significantly more activity for ORR than the free-doping nanotubes. Wong 2 obtained N-CNTs through CVD technique using three different chemical precursors as nitrogen sources: aniline (A), diethylamine (DEA) and ethylenediamine. The analysis revealed that the N-CNTs obtained from EDA with 6.5 at. % N was more active for ORR in acidic medium than nanotubes from A and DEA with 5.9 at. % N and 4.3 at. % N, respectively. Other studies 1,[5][6][7][8] have also showed the important role of nitrogen precursors on the N-CNTs structure. Nevertheless, few...