Tellurium (Te)-modified carbon catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction was prepared through chemical reduction of telluric acid followed by the pyrolysis process at elevated temperatures. The catalyst was found to be active for oxygen reduction reaction. High-temperature pyrolysis plays a crucial role in the formation of the active sites of the catalysts. When the pyrolysis was conducted at 1000 degrees C, the catalyst exhibited the onset potential for oxygen reduction as high as 0.78 V vs. NHE and generated less than 1% H2O2 during oxygen reduction.The performance of the membrane-electrode assembly prepared with the Te-modified carbon catalyst was also evaluated. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.