Pt-based catalysts with free-standing poly[poly(N-vinyl carbazole)] (PPVK) as support (Pt-M/PPVK, M = Pd, Au, and Ru) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) have been successfully prepared by an electrochemical method. Cyclic voltammetric and chronoamperometric methods are used to investigate the electrocatalytic activity and stability of as-prepared catalysts. It is found that PPVK film as support effectively enhances the catalytic acitivity of Pt nanoparticles for methanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium. The bimetallic Pt-M nanoparticles obtained potentiostatically on the PPVK film show the higher electrocatalytic activity than bare Pt/GCE and JM Pt/C. In addition, to pin down the external influencing factors, systematic studies have been conducted on the methanol electro-oxidation at as-prepared catalysts as a function of platinum loading, PPVK mass, methanol and KOH concentrations. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.