Hexagonal tungsten carbide single nanocrystal has been prepared by the intermittent microwave heating (IMH) technique. The structural information of the nanomaterial is obtained by the TEM, fast Fourier transform (FFT) of the HRTEM, XRD and electrochemical measurements. The hexagonal tungsten carbide single nanocrystal is used as smart support of the Pd-based electrocatalysts (Pd-WC/C) for the oxidation of ethanol in alkaline media. The results show that the 50 wt%Pd-WC/C gives the best performance. The significant improvement in the catalytic activity compared to that of the Pd/C is believed due to the higher electrochemical active surface area (EASA) and the synergistic effect between Pd and WC. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.