PVA-protected Pt nanoparticles were electrochemically synthesized using hexachloroplatinic acid as a metal precursor and tested for methanol oxidation. Field emission gun microscopy (FEG) revealed that the absence of PVA allowed the Pt electrodeposit to grow to the micrometer regime, while its presence refined the grain size. The deposition time also played a role in the particle size. Pt nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 70 nm to 300 nm were obtained using long-time potential pulse, while the reduction of the time pulse narrowed the particle-size distribution producing nanoparticles of 20-40 nm in diameter, which exhibited high electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.