Reduction of the precious metal catalyst loading, especially in the cathode, is critical for the development of passive direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Herein, a Pt nanorod assemblies based double-layered cathode is reported with significant catalyst loading reduction up to 50%. The nanorods, consisting of linear aggregates of Pt nanoparticles, are prepared from platinum carbonyl complexes and assembled on top of a Pt/C catalyst layer for the double-layered cathode fabrication. The maximum power density of a passive DMFC with the double-layered cathode, using 2.0 M methanol and at a temperature of 25 degrees C, is ca. 39.4 mW cm(-2) at a Pt loading of 2.0 mg cm(-2); and it is ca. 29.1 mW cm(-2) at a Pt loading of 1.0 mg cm(-2) comparable to that with only a conventional Pt/C layer at a Pt loading of 2.0 mg cm(-2). The improved cell performance is ascribed to increased catalyst utilization and decreased charge-transfer resistance in the double-layered cathode as confirmed by electrochemical characterization and equivalent circuit analysis. The Pt nanorod assemblies based systems hold great potential for the cost reduction of DMFCs. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.