Carbon monoxide, methanol and ethanol electro-oxidation on Ru-decorated carbon-supported Pt nanoparticles prepared by spontaneous deposition

► Ru(Pt)/C electrocatalysts were synthesized using spontaneous deposition. ► The Ru species deposition was fitted to a Roginsky-Zeldovich-Elovich kinetics. ► The maximum activity was achieved for coverage (θ) of about 0.25. ► The ECSA increase for θ < 0.25 was related to deposition of reducible Ru oxides. ► The Tafel slopes were related to the coverage by Ru species.