A sublimed carbon has been synthesized by a simple solid-state pyrolysis method and the carbon works as non-noble metal oxygen reduction catalyst after doping with nitrogen. The content of nitrogen introduced by doping is found to be a factor influencing the electrocatalytic activity. The nitrogen doped carbon can find potential applications in fuel cells and other devices where oxygen reduction reaction works as cathode reaction. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.