Pt-Cu bimetallic nanoparticles supported on reduced graphene oxide (Pt-Cu/RGO) were synthesized through the simple one-step reduction of H2PtCl6 and CuSO4 in the presence of graphene oxide (GO) at room-temperature. The Pt-Cu/RGO was characterized with UV-vis spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and its catalytic behavior for the direct oxidation of methanol was investigated. Compared to Pt/RGO and Pt/C catalysts, Pt-Cu/RGO hybrids exhibited markedly superior catalytic activity for the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol and ethanol. This improved catalytic activity can be attributed to the dendritic structure of the Pt-Cu bimetallic nanoparticles. Copyright (C) 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.