The electrogenerative oxidation of aqueous acid solutions of ethanol and 2-propanol was investigated using a variety of platinum-graphite packed bed anodes in a laboratory hybrid cell designed for continuous, steady-state electrogenerative operations . An eight-fold increase in the efficiency of platinum utilization was achieved through the use of graphite particle catalyst supports [20-30 (US) mesh] in place of a graphite sheet. Gaseous hydrogen, methanol and ethanol reducing agents for chloroplatinic acid were compared . It was found that ethanol was particularly advantageous and convenient for producing efficient and selective graphite-supported platinum catalysts for packed bed use . Graphite-supported platinum catalysts prepared with the ethanol reducing agent had activities for ethanol oxidation comparable to those produced through hydrogen reduction but markedly different selectivities . The platinum anode prepared via ethanol reduction tended to produce acetaldehyde and acetic acid in a 9 :1 ratio while a comparable electrode with platinum from hydrogen reduction produced acetaldehyde and acetic acid in equimolar quantities. The difference in selectivity can be explained on the basis of the catalytic properties of exposed platinum crystallographic planes . Advantages of using ethanol as a reducing agent for graphite supported metal electrocatalysts are demonstrated . Other selectivity factors also were investigated . The oxidation of 2-propanol was much less structure sensitive than ethanol . While the present investigation was confined to two model alcohols, it is expected that catalysts of the types described here as well as the reactor, which incorporates a gas diffusion counter electrode, will be useful with other types of liquid phase electrogenerative systems . The preparative methods used hen should also be applicable to other types of precious metal catalysts .