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(Invited by Dr. Jiujun Zhang) Nanocrystals of noble metals have been widely used as catalysts in various reaction systems. In principle, mastery over the shape and size of a nanocrystal enables control of its properties and enhances its usefulness for catalytic applications. In this presentation, I will first demonstrate the controlled synthesis of metal nanocrystals in solution phase which allows us to tailor the parameters of nanocrystals. In the controlled synthesis, the surface of metal nanocrystals and their interface with other materials can be modulated for specific catalytic applications. Specifically, I will show how the parameter control of nanocrystals can impact on the catalytic activity and durability in electrocatalytic systems. In the first case, I will demonstrate that the highest record for activity and durability has been obtained for pure Pt materials in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) by tailoring their surface facets and interface with graphene. In the second example, surface polarization has been utilized to boost the performance in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), allowing us to reduce the usage of expensive Pt while achieving high HER activities. It is expected that the present work will enable us to design metal nanocrystals for tunable properties and open the door to new applications in electrocatalysis.