<p>The design of non-noble metal-based catalysts with low cost and high efficiency is crucial for the sustainable development of fuel cells and rechargeable metal–air batteries. In recent years, the porous carbon-based materials with heteroatoms doped have attracted numerous attention and exhibited excellent performances. Here, in this work, we present a highly active carbon-based electrocatalyst derived from S/N dual organic ligands-assembled Fe-based MOFs. SEM and TEM images demonstrate a hierarchical porous structure composed of mesopores/macropores and the homogeneous doping of N, S, and Fe within the obtained nanorods. The resultant material showed remarkable activities for ORR, which can be comparable to that of commercial Pt/C but with a superior durability. The prominent properties can be attributed to several factors, including the convenient channel provided by the hierarchical porous structure, the influence of N and S co-doping on the microenvironment of the active center, and the formation of Fe-N_x sites. The controllable synthesis of MOF-derived S/N-doped carbon materials with porous nanostructure and co-doping with transition metal will offer prospects in developing high performance electrocatalysts.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>