TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process further comprises: electropolymerizing mixed valence platinum phosphate oligomer onto the substrate, and electrochemically depositing onto the substrate at least one transition metal comprising chromium, cobalt, iron, nickel, palladium, iridium or ruthenium; partially reducing the resulting polymeric metal complex from the electropolymerizing step to form platinum metal; and anchoring the platinum surface to the substrate with a phosphate binder. The electropolymerizing step is further defined as reductively electropolymerizing mixed valence platinum phosphate oligomer onto the substrate. The depositing step further comprises: depositing the platinum surface on a substrate comprising graphite carbon, carbon powder, carbon paper, carbon cloth or ionomers; depositing a platinum phosphate composite surface and ruthenium onto the substrate, and reducing an affinity of the platinum phosphate composite surface to absorb carbon monoxide; depositing 0.03-0.2 mg/cm2 of the platinum phosphate composite surface onto the substrate; or cycling voltage of 1 to -1 V versus silver/silver chloride standard hydrogen electrode with scan rates of 5-50 mV/s. In the method of preparing substrates for fuel cells, the depositing step further comprises depositing the platinum phosphate composite surface onto a carbon powder substrate, an ionomer, and electrical conductor. The reducing step further comprises reducing oxygen from water in a fuel cell. The method of reducing oxygen further comprises the step of preventing hydrogen adsorption on the platinum phosphate composite surface. EXAMPLE - Three-electrode cells contained platinum phosphate blue solution (1-5 mM) in 0.5 M sodium perchlorate at pH 4-5. Thin-films of different platinum loadings (0.03-0.22 mg/cm2) were prepared by cycling voltage of 1 to -1.0 V versus, silver(Ag)/silver chloride (AgCl) with different scan rates, 5-50 mV/s and other potential ranges of 0.8 to -0.8 V, 0.5 to -0.5 V, versus. Ag/AgCl were also used in conjunction with scan rates of 5-50 mV/s to deposit the thin-film. An ink was prepared by emulsifying the carbon powder in Nafion (RTM: Perfluorosulfonic acid membrane) (30 wt.%) in isopropyl alcohol for 5-7 days. The resulting ink was then coated on a tip of rotating disk electrode and dried. The mixed-valence platinum phosphate thin-film was then deposited on to the dried carbon Nafion (RTM: Perfluorosulfonic acid membrane) matrix substrate.