A new iron-based catalyst for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has been developed, showing enhanced power density compared to platinum-based catalysts. The catalyst is synthesized using a metal-organic framework (ZIF-8) as a host for iron(II) acetate and 1,10-phenanthroline. The catalyst precursor is ballmilled and then pyrolyzed in argon and ammonia to form a highly active and efficient catalyst. The resulting catalyst, with a volumetric activity of 230 A cm⁻³ at 0.8 V, achieves a power density of 0.91 W cm⁻² at 0.6 V, comparable to that of a commercial platinum-based cathode. This represents a significant improvement in power density for non-precious metal catalysts in PEMFCs. The catalyst's enhanced mass-transport properties and structural characteristics, including interconnected alveolar carbon nanostructures, contribute to its high performance. The study also highlights the importance of optimizing catalyst composition and processing conditions to achieve high catalytic activity and durability. The new catalyst shows promising potential as a viable alternative to platinum-based catalysts in PEMFCs, with the potential to meet the US Department of Energy's 2015 target for oxygen reduction catalysts.A new iron-based catalyst for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has been developed, showing enhanced power density compared to platinum-based catalysts. The catalyst is synthesized using a metal-organic framework (ZIF-8) as a host for iron(II) acetate and 1,10-phenanthroline. The catalyst precursor is ballmilled and then pyrolyzed in argon and ammonia to form a highly active and efficient catalyst. The resulting catalyst, with a volumetric activity of 230 A cm⁻³ at 0.8 V, achieves a power density of 0.91 W cm⁻² at 0.6 V, comparable to that of a commercial platinum-based cathode. This represents a significant improvement in power density for non-precious metal catalysts in PEMFCs. The catalyst's enhanced mass-transport properties and structural characteristics, including interconnected alveolar carbon nanostructures, contribute to its high performance. The study also highlights the importance of optimizing catalyst composition and processing conditions to achieve high catalytic activity and durability. The new catalyst shows promising potential as a viable alternative to platinum-based catalysts in PEMFCs, with the potential to meet the US Department of Energy's 2015 target for oxygen reduction catalysts.