In this research, scandium oxide, Sc2O3, nanoparticles (Sc(2)O(3)NPs) were synthesized via a facile and simple sol-gel auto-combustion process with olive oil as capping agent. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron micro-scopy (SEM) and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-DRS) were used to characterize the particle size, morphology and optical properties of the calcined powders. The XRD patterns showed that Sc2O3 nanoparticles have cubic structure with particle size about 8 nm. UV-vis spectroscopy showed a strong sharp absorption peak around 315 nm, attributed to the O-2p -> Sc-3d charge-transfer interaction. In the next step, Sc(2)O(3)NPs were used for modification of carbon paste electrode (CPE) surface. Then, the electrocatalytic properties of the Sc(2)O(3)NPs/CPE towards ethanol oxidation were compared with the CPE. The results showed the electrocatalytic performance of the Sc(2)O(3)NPs/CPE is higher than the unmodified CPE. Also, chronoamperometry studies showed that Sc2O3/CPE has long-term stability against the poisoning species, as compared with the CPE. Therefore, Sc2O3 catalyst is proposed as an efficient anodic electrode for use in direct ethanol fuel cells in acidic media. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.