TiO2-modified nitrogen-doped carbon (TiO2-NC), prepared by a polymerization-pyrolysis process, is used to support the Pd catalyst for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in alkaline media. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization indicates that the incorporation of TiO2 and nitrogen into the carbon matrix could improve the percentage of Pd in Pd/TiO2-NC catalyst. Electrochemical characterization shows that the Pd/TiO2-NC catalyst presents higher electrocatalytic activity and stability for EOR than the nitrogen doped carbon-supported Pd (Pd/NC) catalyst and the carbon black-supported Pd (Pd/CB) catalyst, which can be mainly attributed to the high percentage of Pd in Pd/TiO2-NC catalyst (65%) than those in Pd/NC (48%) and Pd/CB (31%) catalysts. The results indicate that the Pd/TiO2-NC catalyst holds great potential as high-performance anode catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cells. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.