ELECTRODE CATALYST AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE ELECTRODE CATALYST

Disclosed are an electrode catalyst and a method for producing an electrode catalyst. The electrode catalyst is composed of: a metal compound comprising one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of Groups 4A and 5A, and an oxygen atom; and a carbonaceous material covering at least part of the compound, wherein the electrode catalyst has a BET specific surface area of not less than 15 m2/g and not more than 500 m2/g and a carbon coverage of not less than 0.05 and not more than 0.5 as determined by the following equation (1): carbon coverage=carbon content (% by mass)/BET specific surface area (m2/g) (1). The method for producing an electrode catalyst comprises calcining a mixed material comprising a first material provided below and a second material provided below under conditions where the second material can be converted to a carbonaceous material: the first material that is a metal compound composed of one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of Groups 4A and 5A, and one or more non-metal elements selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a nitrogen atom, a chlorine atom, a carbon atom, a boron atom and an oxygen atom; the second material that is a carbonaceous material precursor.