An ultra-low platinum loading membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with a novel double catalyst layer (DCL) structure was prepared by using two layers of platinum catalysts with different loadings. The inner layer consisted of a high loading platinum catalyst and high Nafion content for keeping good platinum utilization efficiency and the outer layer contained a low loading platinum catalyst with low Nafion content for obtaining a proper thickness thereby enhancing mass transfer in the catalyst layers. Polarization characteristics of MEAs with novel DCL, conventional DCL and single catalyst layer (SCL) were evaluated in a H-2-air single cell system. The results show that the performance of the novel DCL MEA is improved substantially, particularly at high current densities. Although the platinum loadings of the anode and cathode are as low as 0.04 and 0.12 mg cm(-2) respectively, the current density of the novel DCL MEA still reached 0.73 A cm(-2) at a working voltage of 0.65 V, comparable to that of the SCL MEA. In addition, the maximum power density of the novel DCL MEA reached 0.66 W cm(-2) at 1.3 A cm(-2) and 0.51 V, 11.9% higher than that of the SCL MEA, indicative of improved mass transfer for the novel MEA. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests revealed that the novel DCL MEA possesses an efficient electrochemical active layer and good platinum utilization efficiency. (C) 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.