We synthesized graphene oxide (GO) using the electrochemical exfoliation of graphite rod and then fabricated sulfonated reduced graphene oxide (SRGO) using lyophilization-assisted technique from a liquid mixture of GO and (NH4)(2)SO4 with a subsequent thermal treatment in N-2 saturated. Pt and CeO2 nanoparticles can be anchored on the oxygenated functional groups of SRGO sheets. The as-prepared SRGO, CeO2/SRGO, Pt/SRGO, and PtCeO2/SRGO nanocomposites have been carefully characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. FTIR spectrum confirms the presence of a sulfonic acid group. X-ray diffractometer and tunneling electron microscopy techniques are employed to study the crystallite size. The ionic resistance of Pt/SRGO without Nafion solution in catalyst layer was equal to the Pt/RGO and Nafion solution but the catalytic activities of the PtCeO2/SRGO are higher than Pt/RGO with Nafion and Pt/SRGO electrodes for ethanol oxidation. Furthermore, the activation energy of the Pt-CeO2/SRGO anode was much lower than that of the Pt/RGO with Nafion and Pt/SRGO, which can reveal the particular properties of the exfoliated SRGO supports and PtCeO2. Copyright (C) 2016, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.