A novel PdSn/TiO2 electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation is fabricated by the surface reductive deposition method using spherical TiO2 nanoparticles as support. The structural and electrochemical properties of the PdSn/TiO2 catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and electrochemical analysis. Under appropriate composition and uniform dispersion of PdSn alloy nanoparticles on the surface of the TiO2, the new catalyst has shown promising electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and anti-poisoning ability. The MOR mechanism of the PdSn/TiO2 catalyst mainly results from the photocatalytic process of composite TiO2 material that has high catalytic activity without ultraviolet light illumination. The PdSn/TiO2 catalyst might become a promising candidate for direct methanol fuel cell. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.