A new catalyst electrode was prepared in which Pt particles were homogeneously distributed into a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT-PSS) matrix. Catalytic activity and stability for the oxidation of methanol were studied by using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. For comparative purposes, bulk Pt and PEDOT-PSS based electrodes were fabricated and tested. Enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of methanol was noticed when Pt particles were embedded into the PEDOT-PSS matrix. A high catalytic current for methanol oxidation (2.51 mA cm(-2)) was found for the PEDOT-PSS-Pt electrode in comparison to bulk Pt electrode (0.45 mA cm(-2)) at +0.6 V (versus Ag/AgCl). The enhanced electrocatalytic activity might be due to the dispersion of Pt particles into the PEDOT-PSS matrix and the synergistic effects between the dispersed Pt particles and the PEDOT-PSS matrix. The morphology and crystalline behavior of PEDOT-PSS-Pt and simple ITO/Pt films were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and correlated with the enhanced electrocatalytic activity for the Pt-dispersed PEDOT-PSS electrode. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.