(Figure Presented) Thrifty catalysis: Tungsten carbide microspheres with high surface area and CO chemisorption capacity were prepared by heating mixtures of a resorcinol-formaldehyde polymer and ammonium meta-tungstate. Platinum supported on these microspheres (see electron micrograph) shows higher activity than the commercial catalyst with 20% Pt-Ru (1:1) on C for the electrooxidation of methanol. © 2005 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.