The reduction of CO2 on bismuth modified Pt(1 1 0) single crystal surfaces has been studied voltammetrically. The effect of bismuth and the amount of formed CO species on the rate of hydrogen evolution has also been investigated. A decrease in the rate of CO2 reduction is observed due to the modification of the surface with bismuth adsorption. This decrease goes beyond the simple third body effect expected from the blockage of active sites on the platinum surface after bismuth adsorption. However, the hydrogen evolution reaction is relatively insensitive to the presence of adsorbed species, in contrast with previous result reported for Pt(1 1 1) and Pt(1 0 0) surfaces. (c) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.