TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The step of producing the elongated nanoparticles of the first noble metal by pulse potential deposition involves immersing the functionalized carbon support in a solution having ions of the first noble metal; applying a first potential pulse to reduce the first noble metal and nucleate noble metal nanoparticles on surfaces of the functionalized carbon support; and applying a second potential pulse to anisotropically increase the size of the nucleated noble metal nanoparticles. The method further involves forming a thin film of the functionalized carbon support on an electrode; and preparing a pH-buffered solution containing a salt of a first noble metal. The elongated nanoparticles are covalently bonded to the carbon support. The method further involves forming a shell layer of a second metal which is more-noble than the first metal on an external surface of the elongated noble-metal nanoparticles by galvanic displacement to form core-shell nanoparticles. The process of functionalizing the carbon support involves exposing the carbon support to an oxidizing agent for 1-20 (preferably 3) hours under ambient temperature and pressure. The first potential is -0.5 to -0.3 V, the second potential is -0.25 V to -0.20 V as measured against Ag/AgCl (3M NaCl) reference electrode, and the solution comprises 0.1M NaCl. The first potential is maintained for 5 microseconds and the second potential is maintained for 60 s. The shell layer is formed by transferring the nanoparticles to and immersing the nanoparticles in a solution comprising a salt of the second metal in the absence of oxygen. The salt of the first metal solution comprises 0.05 to 10 (preferably 5) mM PdCl2. A salt of the second metal in a pH-buffered solution comprises 0.05 to 5 mM K2PtCl4. The process of forming a shell layer of a second metal which is more noble than the first metal on an external surface of the elongated noble-metal nanoparticles by galvanic displacement involves depositing an atomic monolayer of Cu on the elongated nanoparticles of the first metal using underpotential deposition; and replacing Cu with the more noble second metal using galvanic displacement. Preferred Components: The first noble metal comprises Pd. The core comprises Pd and the shell comprises Pt. The elongated metal nanoparticle comprises a palladium (Pd) core and platinum (Pt) shell having a shape of a nanowire or a nanorod with an external diameter of 3 to 9 nm. Preferred Nanoparticles: The elongated nanoparticles have morphology of a nanowire or a nanorod. The functionalized carbon support comprises nanometer-scale carbon particles having at least one functional group on the surface of the carbon particles. The elongated metal nanoparticle comprises a continuous and nonporous shell with a solid core. The carbon support is functionalized. The shell is more noble than the core. The shell comprises 4 to 12 monolayers of platinum (Pt).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The functionalized carbon support comprises carbon particles having high surface area per unit mass. The carbon particles comprise at least one functional group on the surface of the carbon support selected from carboxylic, carbonyl, phenol, and lactone. The oxidizing agent is selected from nitric acid, sulfuric acid, perchloric acid, and phosphoric acid.