Pt on a tungsten carbide nanocrystalline support (Pt-WC/C) has been prepared by the direct reduction of a platinum salt precursor combined with intermittent microwave heating (IMH). The Pt-WC/C electrocatalyst shows better performance for oxygen reduction in acidic media than that of pure Pt/C or Pt-WC/C prepared by a mechanical mixing method. The results reveal that the Pt-WC/C electrocatalyst prepared by present method is very active for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with an onset potential of 1.05 V versus standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) at ambient temperature, which is over 150 mV more positive compared to that of commercial Pt/C electrocatalysts. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.