Carbon-supported Pt, Pd, Pd-Pt core-shell (Pt-shell-Pd-core/C) and Ir-decorated Pd-Pt core-shell (Ir-decorated Pt-shell-Pd-core/C) catalysts were synthesized, and their physical properties, electrochemical behaviors, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) characteristics and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performances were investigated herein. From the XRD patterns and TEM images, Ir-decorated Pt-shell-Pd-core/C has been confirmed that Pt was deposited on the Pd nanoparticle which had the core-shell structure. Ir-decorated Pt-shell-Pd-core/C has more positive OH reduction peak than Pt/C, which is beneficial to weaken the binding energy of Pt-OH during the ORR. Thus, Ir-decorated Pt-shell-Pd-core/C has higher ORR activity than Pt/C. The maximum power density of H-2-O-2 PEMFC using Ir-decorated Pt-shell-Pd-core/C is 792.2 mW cm(-2) at 70 degrees C, which is 24% higher than that using Pt/C. The single-cell accelerated degradation test of PEMFC using Ir-decorated Pt-shell-Pd-core/C shows good durability by the potential cycling of 40,000 cycles. This study concludes that Ir-decorated Pt-shell-Pd-core/C has the low Pt content, but it can facilitate the low-cost and high-efficient PEMFC. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.