Herein reported is an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process of platinum (Pt) from (methyl-cydopentadienyl) trimethylplatinum (MeCpPtMe3) and oxygen (O-2) for synthesizing the Pt electrocatalysts toward methanol and formic acid oxidation. The as-synthesized Pt catalysts are thermally reduced in 5 vol% H-2 within temperature window of 150-450 degrees C. The reduction treatment induces a decrease in amount of Pt oxide (Pt-O) species, e.g., PtO and PtO2. The presence of Pt-O species not only enhances catalytic activity but also improves anti-poisoning ability toward the oxidation of methanol and formic acid. The improved activity originates from the fact that the Pt-O species, formed by the ALD route, creates a large number of active sites (e.g., Pt-O-ads and Pt-(OH)(ads)) to strip the CO-adsorbed sites, leading to a high-level of CO tolerance. This work also proposes a stepwise reaction steps to shed some lights on how the Pt-O species promote the catalytic activity. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.