PtRu/C anode electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) have been prepared by electroless deposition with the pretreatment of Sn2+/Sn4+ sensitization and Pd activation. The as-prepared catalysts were composed of well dispersed PtRu alloy nanoparticles with relatively homogeneous size distribution, which were characterized by instrumental analyses, such as XRD, TEM, HRTEM and EDX. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the PtRu/C catalysts obtained with sensitizing and activating pretreatment exhibited an enhanced peak current density of 34% for methanol electrooxidation as compared to that synthesized without pretreatment. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.