The MgAl(Sn) layered double hydroxides (LDH) with the atomic ratios Mg/(Al + Sn) = 3 and Sn/(Sn + Al) = 0, 0.002, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0 were synthesized and the ratio Sn/(Sn + Al) <= 0.1 was shown to provide the formation of systems with uniform phase composition. Mixed oxides derived from LDH retain the high specific surface area of 150-200 m(2)/g and the basic properties when some aluminium atoms are replaced with tin. It was found that the Sn-containing mixed oxides are able to restore the layered structure during rehydration and intercalate the anion precursors of platinum into the interlayer space of the formed LDH. The emerging platinum sites initiate the reduction of tin at temperatures below 723 K. TEM, EXAFS and XPS studies demonstrated that tin introduction in the support increases the dispersion of supported platinum. An extreme dependence of the activity of Pt/MgAl(Sn)O-x catalysts in propane and n-decane dehydrogenation on the tin content in the support was revealed. The active catalysts are characterized by the phase and elemental uniformity of the support, highly disperse state of Pt(0), and the absence of a noticeable amount of reduced tin and bimetallic particles.