Au nanoparticles supported on mesoporous N-doped carbon (CN) nanocomposites have been synthesized via a facile and green method using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as a reductant at room temperature. The structure, composition and morphology of the as prepared nanocomposites were characterized by using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), high-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM (HAADF-STEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Further, the catalytic activity of Au/CN was investigated for hydrogenation of p-nitro phenol (4-NP) to p-aminophenol (4-AP) and it exhibited excellent catalytic activity with a TOF of 11.4 min(-1). The unique structure and high catalytic performance make the nano composites highly promising candidates for diverse applications in the area of catalysis. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.