Nanostructured thin catalyst layer with uniform distribution of platinum particles on a GDL useful for PEM fuel cell was obtained by preferential pulsed electrodeposition. (PED) from a dilute solution of chloroplatinic acid. A low platinum loading on the electrode was obtained by PED method, without any loss in fuel cell performance compared with electrodes prepared by conventional brush coating method. The electrodeposition was optimized by varying the duty cycle and current density. The fuel cell performance was found to be 350 mA/cm(2) at an operating voltage of 0.6 V at 60 degrees C with hydrogen and air as reactants at ambient pressure. The nanostructured thin catalyst layer showed a very less ohmic resistance of 0.00076 m Omega/cm(2). (c) 2008 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.