A binder-free and flexible Au electrode is prepared by spontaneous deposition of Au onto a A4 (A4-paper)-8B (8B pencil)-Ni Film substrate (ABNi) which is assembled by electrodeposition of nanoscale Ni particles on the surface of A4 paper coated by 8B pencil. The morphology and phase structure of the (A4-paper)-8B (8B pencil)-Ni Film-Au (ABNiAu) electrode are characterized by scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer and X-ray diffractometer. The catalytic activity of the ABNiAu electrode for NaBH4 electrooxidation is investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The electrode exhibits a high electric conductivity and the activity substance attaches to the surface of paper substrate tightly and does not fall off at all and the nanoscale Ni and Ni-Au alloy enhance the broken of the B-H bond in the BH4-, all of which lead to a high catalytic activity for NaBH4 electrooxidation. The oxidation current density reaches 300 mA cm(-2) in 1 mol dm(-3) NaOH and 0.1 mol dm(-3) NaBH4 at -0.2 V. The exchanged electrons (n) is 6.0 (8.0 in theory), which indicates that the ABNiAu electrode has much higher utilization efficiency of the fuel than our reported LaNi5/Pd (n = 4) electrode. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.