Pt/C,　as　the　commonly　used　electrocatalyst　in　direct　methanol　fuel　cells,　suffers　from　the　difficulty　of　easy　corrosion　of　the　carbon　support,　which　results　in　a　poor　catalyst　durability　in　the　methanol　oxidation　reaction　(MOR)　and　oxygen　reduction　reaction　(ORR)　processes.　The　SiO2-CeO2　composite　oxide　is　explored　as　the　noncarbon　support　to　load　the　PtCu　catalyst.　PtCu/SiO2-CeO2　with　the　nanotube　morphology　exhibited　a　specific　activity　(SA)　10.55　times　higher　than　that　of　Pt/C　toward　MOR　and　an　SA　3.33　times　higher　than　that　of　Pt/C　toward　ORR.　Moreover,　PtCu/SiO2-CeO2　shows　excellent　ORR　durability,　and　the　activity　became　even　better　after　50,000　cycles.　The　high　performance　is　due　to　the　synergetic　effect　of　SiO2　and　CeO2.　CeO2　causes　an　impurity　level　within　SiO2,　which　alters　the　electronic　structure　and　the　interaction　with　PtCu.　On　the　other　hand,　SiO2　imposes　a　confinement　effect　on　CeO2　and　prevents　the　aggregation　of　CeO2　nanoparticles　which　bind　PtCu　strongly.　The　density　functional　theory　calculations　reveal　that　the　OOH*　adsorption　of　the　PtCu/SiO2-CeO2　structure　is　further　enhanced　under　the　synergistic　action,　leading　to　a　lower　overpotential.