PtSn nanoparticles with different Pt/Sn ratio have been prepared by a chemical reduction method. XRD data indicate that Sn atom is introduced into the Pt lattice. Their electrocatalytic activity is evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential electrochemistry mass spectrometry (DEMS), and rotating disk electrode (RDE) experiments. The Pt9Sn1 nanoparticles exhibit higher electrocatalytic activity than commercial Pt nanoparticles (E-TEK) for the oxidation of ethanol. The rate constants for the oxidation of formic acid, formaldehyde, methanol, ethanol, glycol, and glycerol on Pt9Sn1 electrocatalyst are much higher than that on Pt. The results indicate that Pt9Sn1 is an excellent electrocatalyst for the oxidation of liquid fuels. The activation energy studies show that the higher electrocatalytic activity of PtSn catalyst can be ascribed to the bifunctional mechanism, instead of the dilation of Pt crystal structure. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.