Highly dispersed Pt and SnO2 double nanoparticles containing different Pt/Sn ratios (denoted as Pt/SnO2/CB) were prepared on carbon black (CB) by the modified Bonnemann method The average size of Pt and SnO2 nanoparticles was 3 1 +/- 05 nm and 2 5 +/- 03 nm respectively in Pt/SnO2(3 1)/CB 3 0 +/- 0 5 nm and 2 6 +/- 0 3 nm respectively in Pt/SnO2(1 1)/CB and 2 8 +/- 0 5 nm and 2 5 +/- 0 3 nm respectively in Pt/SnO2(1 3)/CB The Pt/SnO2(3 1)/CB electrode showed the highest specific activity and lowest overpotential for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) and was superior to a Pt/CB electrode Current density for EOR at 040 and 0 60V vs reversible hydrogen electrode for the Pt/SnO2(3 1)/CB electrode decayed more slowly than that for the Pt/CB electrode because of a synergistic effect between Pt and SnO2 nanoparticles The predominant reaction product was acetic acid and its current efficiency was about 70% while that for CO2 production was about 30% (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B V