Pt nanowires are prepared by treating electrospun polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-Pt composite fibers at high temperatures in an air atmosphere and their activities toward a methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) are investigated. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) results indicate that the electrospun PVP-Pt composite fibers thermally decompose at 250 degrees C, which leads to the removal of 98 wt% of the PVP polymer and the simultaneous reduction of the Pt precursor to a Pt nanowire. The physical and electrochemical properties of Pt nanowires are found to be affected by the heat treatment conditions such as heating rate, time, temperature, and atmosphere. Furthermore, polymer fibers subjected to a pyrolization process in nitrogen followed by exposure to an air atmosphere enhance the surface area of the Pt nanowires, leading to high electrochemical activity toward a MOR. The detailed physical and electrochemical properties of the Pt nanowires are characterized by various spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques, and the possibilities of using them as electrocatalysts in a fuel cell are explored. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.