This work presents a study on the kinetics of the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in the absence and in the presence of CO in ultra thin porous layer and in PEM fuel cell electrodes formed with Pt supported on RhO2/C substrates. Together with the electrochemical measurements, the structural and electronic properties of these catalysts were characterized, enabling to correlate their structural and electronic properties with the HOR kinetics. The results show that the presence of Rh oxides leads to an emptying of the Pt 5d band and a consequent reduction of the back-donation of electrons from Pt to CO, weakening the Pt-CO bond and diminishing the CO degree of coverage on Pt, leaving more sites available to HOR. These changes in the electronic spectra do not lead to any perceptible change in the kinetics or the reaction of pure hydrogen. Also, the formation of CO2 monitored by the MS experiments in the fuel cell anode outlet indicates that the bifunctional mechanism is also operative, but the major CO tolerance is achieved by the electronic effect induced by the RhO2 support. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.