The stability of atomically dispersed Pt2+ species on the surface of nanostructured CeO2 films during the reaction with methanol has been investigated by means of synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy and resonant photoemission spectroscopy. The isolated Pt2+ species were prepared at low Pt concentration in Pt-CeO2 film. Additionally, Pt2+ species coexisting with metallic Pt particles were prepared at high Pt concentration. We found that adsorption of methanol yields similar decomposition products regardless of Pt concentration in Pt-CeO2 films. A small number of oxygen vacancies formed during the methanol decomposition can be replenished in the Pt-CeO2 film with low Pt concentration by diffusion of oxygen from the bulk. In the presence of supported Pt particles, a higher number of oxygen vacancies leads to a partial reduction of the Pt2+ species. The isolated Pt2+ species are reduced under rather strongly reducing conditions only, i.e. during annealing under continuous exposure to methanol. Reduction of isolated Pt2+ species results in the formation of ultra-small Pt particles containing around 25 atoms per particle or less. Such ultra-small Pt particles demonstrate excellent stability against sintering during annealing of Pt-CeO2 film with low Pt concentration under reducing conditions. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.