Methane　can　induce　a　serious　greenhouse　effect,　and　it　is　highly　required　to　control　its　emissions.　In　this　work,　we　used　PdCl2　and　H2PtCl6　as　noble　metal　precursors,　polyvinyl　alcohol　as　protecting　agent,　and　NaBH4　as　reducing　agent　to　synthesize　the　PtPdx　bimetallic　nanoparticles　(NPs),　which　were　then　supported　on　the　surface　of　zirconia　to　generate　the　yPtPdx/ZrO2　(i.e.,　0.44PtPd2.20/ZrO2,　0.54PtPd0.90/ZrO2,　and　0.61PtPd0.48/ZrO2;　x　and　y　are　the　Pd/Pt　molar　ratio　and　PtPdx　loading,　respectively;　x　=　0.48–2.20;　and　y　=　0.44–0.61　wt%)　catalysts.　For　comparison　purposes,　we　also　prepared　the　0.55　wt%　Pd/ZrO2　(0.55　Pd/ZrO2)　and　0.65　wt%　Pt/ZrO2　(0.65Pt/ZrO2)　catalysts.　It　was　shown　that　the　PtPdx　NPs　with　an　average　size　of　2.4–3.6　nm　were　highly　dispersed　on　the　ZrO2　support.　Among　these　samples,　0.44PtPd2.20/ZrO2　exhibited　the　best　catalytic　activity　(T50%　=　345　°C　and　T90%　=　408　°C　at　space　velocity　=　20,000　mL/(g　h);　apparent　activation　energy　=　59　kJ/mol;　turnover　frequency　(TOFPd)　at　350　°C　=　124.1　×　10–3　s−1,　and　specific　reaction　rate　at　350　°C　=　466.6　μmol/(gPd　s)).　The　good　performance　of　0.44PtPd2.20/ZrO2　was　associated　with　its　well　dispersed　PtPd2.20　NPs,　high　adsorbed　oxygen　species　concentration,　good　redox　ability,　large　methane　adsorption　capacity,　and　strong　interaction　between　PtPdx　and　ZrO2.　Furthermore,　the　0.44PtPd2.20/ZrO2　catalyst　also　possessed　excellent　thermal　stability　and　good　water-　and　sulfur　dioxide-resistant　performance.　According　to　the　characterization　results,　we　deduce　that　SO2　could　be　preferentially　adsorbed　at　the　Pt　site　in　0.44PtPd2.20/ZrO2　and　protected　the　active　phase　of　PdO　from　being　poisoned　by　SO2,　thus　improving　its　SO2　resistance.　©　2022　Elsevier　B.V.