Nanocrystalline intermetallics in bulk with high surface area hold enormous promise as an efficient catalyst for real fuel cell applications due to their unique electrocatalytic properties. In this work, a novel three-dimensional (3D) porous Pd-Sn intermetallics in network nanostructures (Pd-Sn-INNs) has been fabricated at relatively low temperature for the first time by one-step ethylene glycol-assisted hydrothermal reduction method. The structure characteristics of the Pd-Sn-INNs are confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The as-prepared 3D Pd-Sn-INNs exhibit remarkably improved electrocatalytic activity and stability towards formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR) over commercially available Pd black. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.