A cost-effective chemical, N,N'-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine (salen), is used as a ligand to form a carbon-supported Co-salen complex (Co-salen/C) by a simple solid-sate reaction. The Co-salen/C is then pyrolyzed at 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000 degrees C to form carbon-supported Co-N-S/C catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). XRD, EDX, TEM, and XPS are used to characterize the catalysts' composition, crystalline nature, morphology, and possible surface groups induced by heat-treatment. Investigation of the catalytic activity and the ORR mechanisms using rotating disk electrode and rotating ring-disk electrode techniques demonstrates that all of these Co-N-S/C catalysts are highly active for the ORR in an O-2-saturated 0.1 M KOH solution, but the catalyst heat treated at 700 degrees C gives the best ORR activity. The overall electron transfer number for the catalyzed ORR was determined to be 3.6-3.9, with 3.7-19.9% H2O2 production over the potential range of -0.05 to -0.60 V, suggesting that the ORR catalyzed by Co-N-S/C catalysts is dominated by a 4-electron transfer pathway from O-2 to H2O. In addition, these catalysts exhibit superior methanol tolerance to commercial 40% Pt/C catalyst, thus the Co-N-S/C catalysts are promising for use as electrocatalysts in alkaline polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.