Carbon-supported Pt, Pt-Ru, Pt-3-Sn electrocatalysts have been synthesized by a modified polyol method. Energy dispersive spectroscopic (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analyses reveal that the as-prepared samples are composed of mainly Pt and RuO2 or SnO2 and the formation of alloys is found only after heat-treatment at 200 degrees C in a flowing 10% H-2-90% Ar atmosphere. The activity and durability for the methanol electro-oxidation reaction (MOR) have been evaluated by accelerated durability test (ADT) carried out by scanning the electrode potential for extended number of cycles in the potential ranges of 0.02-0.6, 0.02-0.8, and 0.02-1.2 V vs. NHE. Regardless of heat-treatment, the initial activity for MOR decreases in the order Pt-Ru/C > Pt-3-Sn/C > Pt/C and the durability decreases in the order Pt/C > Pt-3-Sn/C > Pt-Ru/C. During the ADT of the as-prepared Pt-Ru/C and Pt-3-Sn/C, no detectable amount of dissolved Sn ions was found in the electrolyte solution, while almost 40% of Ru could be found in the electrolyte solution after ADT between 0.02 and 1.2 V vs. NHE. With MOR activity comparable to and durability better than that of Pt-Ru, the Pt-Sn based catalysts offer the potential to be employed as anode catalysts in direct methanol fuel cells. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.