Heteroatom doped single-walled carbon nanohorns are produced via a facile one-step arc discharge method and used as metal-free catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The influence of nitrogen-source on the structure and electrocatalytic activity of the nanohorns is studied. Two kinds of N doped carbon nanohorns produced by N2 or melamine as the N-source, respectively, present similar structure. However, dual-doped carbon nanohorns fabricated from different N-sources possess different structures. NB-dual doped carbon nanohorns synthesized by N2 would contain the enormous h-BN, which is chemical-inert for ORR. But using melamine as the N-source would prevent this phenomenon and raise the doping of B atoms into the graphene lattice, which lead to the increased ORR catalytic activity. Different with NB-dual doping, NP-dual doping via N2 would greatly give a rise to the content of N atoms into the materials, and result in the enhanced limited current intensity.Please do not adjust margins Please do not adjust margins As the attractive potential candidate for ORR electrocatalyst, the corresponding tolerance to methanol and stability of NBCNH-m were further investigated. The methanol crossover, The different N-sources used in the preparation would lead to different ways the doped N atoms interact with B or P dopants, and result in the enhanced or declined electrocatalytic activity of dual-doped carbon nanohorns in oxygen reduction reaction.