The electrochemically reducing nature of the poly-(ethylene-glycol) solvent (PEG200) is exploited in a one-step electroless deposition of nano-fibrous platinum electrocatalyst. K2PtCl6 is dissolved in poly-(ethylene-glycol) and applied to a substrate (here tin-doped indium oxide, ITO). The deposition process is conducted by rapid heating in a furnace in air. Upon ramping the temperature up (with 10 degrees C per minute to 500 degrees C) a complex sequence of nucleation and growth reactions leads via (i) formation of nano-fibrous platinum and (ii) complete removal of all organic components directly to an electrochemically highly active platinum deposit. When characterised in aqueous 0.5 M H2SO4, typical poly-crystal Pt surface oxidation and hydrogen adsorption features were observed. Electrocatalysis is demonstrated for methanol oxidation, for which the rate of catalysis per electrochemically active area is increased compared to that for a conventional polycrystalline platinum macro-disc (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.