The aim of this research is to understand the relationship between boron content and the quality and electrochemical performance of polycrystalline boron-doped diamond (BDD), providing valuable information for electroanalysis of organic matter. We prepared 12 types of BDD films, with different boron contents, grown on tantalum (Ta) substrate and constructed BDD/Ta electrodes. The influence of boron content on the quality of the BDD films was determined by analyzing its morphology, structure, and composition, and the influence of boron content on the electrochemical performance parameters of the BDD/Ta electrode was investigated by analyzing the kinetic parameters of the electrochemical reaction and electrochemical window. For the BDD layer of the BDD/Ta electrode prepared with a boron source flow rate of 36 sccm, the effective active surface area was 1.31 cm(2) and the electron transfer rate constant of the electrode reached 2.4 x 10(-1) cm s(-1); these values are much larger than those for BDD/Si electrodes. Finally, the influence of boron content on the electrochemical oxidation of organic molecules on the electrodes was investigated by analyzing the response characteristics of phenols and aniline organics. In this study, we developed BDD/Ta electrodes with high electrochemical activity and physical stability, which are suitable for the electroanalysis of organic matter. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.