Developing non-precious catalysts with high activity and superior durability is eager demand for the wide spread fuel cells. In this study, a novel kind of nitrogen-doping carbon based material (PR-C) has been fabricated with phenolic resin and chitosan, in which the low-cost and renewable biomass material chitosan is used as the nitrogen source. Notably, compared with Pt/C, among the resultant catalysts, the PR-C (1:3.5) catalyst has long-term stability, superior tolerance to methanol poisoning, and favorable electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Consequently, as-prepared catalyst (PR-C) utilized phenolic resin/chitosan is promising as a low-cost and renewable catalyst for ORR. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.