The electrocatalytic performance of novel Pt-NiTiO3/C catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is investigated for the first time. The cathode has been synthesized in a two-step procedure. Firstly, the NiTiO3 co-catalyst is obtained via a wet-chemical method. Then, 20% Pt-NiTiO3/C electrocatalysts (Pt:NiTiO3 ratio of 1: 1 at. %) is prepared by irradiating a mixture of NiTiO3, Vulcan and Pt precursor for 4 min in a microwave apparatus. As a reference, a 20% Pt/C catalyst has been synthesized by the same procedure. XRD analysis confirmed a crystalline NiTiO3 with particle size between 25-40 nm. It also indicates the formation of nanostructured Pt-NiTiO3/C having a Pt particle size of less than 2 nm. TEM results show the formation of homogenously dispersed Pt nanoparticles, with particle size of 2.3 nm. The linear scan voltammograms show a performance for the ORR of Pt-NiTiO3/C as high as that of Pt/C in KOH. The results suggest that the reaction proceeds following a four-electron transfer mechanism. Moreover, the mass and specific activities of Pt-NiTiO3/C are the same as those of Pt/C, demonstrating good performance with less Pt. Furthermore, ORR selectivity tests show an enhanced tolerance of Pt-NiTiO3/C to 0.1 M methanol, compared to Pt/C. (C) The Author(s) 2015. Published by ECS.