The high demand for the expensive and scarce Pt as the catalysts in the cathodes is a severe obstacle in fuel cells. Here we describe a facile method for the rapid synthesis of Mo@Pt core-shell nanoparticles supported on carbon XC-72R (Mo@Pt/C) through thermal decomposition combined with chemical reduction to develop an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells. The nanostructures and electrochemical properties of the as-prepared Mo@Pt/C catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results show that Mo@Pt nanoparticles dispersed uniformly on the surface of XC-72R. Compared with the state-of-the-art commercial Pt/C catalyst, the Mo@Pt/C catalysts exhibit improved ORR catalytic activity and stability. Therefore, the Mo@Pt/C catalysts will hopefully be as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.