Uniform cobalt and nitrogen co-doped carbon nanospheres (CoN-CNS) with high specific surface area (865 m(2) g(-1)) have been prepared by a simple but efficient method. The prepared CoN-CNS catalyst exhibits outstanding catalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in both alkaline and acidic electrolytes. In alkaline electrolyte, the prepared CoN CNS has more positive half-wave potential and larger kinetic current density than commercial Pt/C. In acidic electrolyte, CoN CNS also shows good ORR activity with high electron transfer number, its onset and half-wave potentials are all close to those of commercial carbon supported platinum catalyst (Pt/C). CoN CNS catalyst shows more superior stability and higher methanol-tolerance than commercial Pt/C both in alkaline and in acidic electrolytes. The potassium thiocyanate-poisoning test further confirms that the cobalt-nitrogen active sites exist in CoN CNS, which are dominating to endow high ORR catalytic activity in acidic electrolyte. This study develops a new method to prepare non-precious metal catalyst with excellent ORR performances for direct methanol fuel cells. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.