It is well known that Fe-N-C catalysts reach a significantly better ORR activity in alkaline compared to acidic electrolyte. This advantage makes the material of interest for application in alkaline fuel cells. Beside this, for Pt/C catalyst it is known that the performance in acid can be significantly enhanced through ionic liquid modification following the Solid Catalysts with Ionic Liquid Layer (SCILL) concept. In our current study we combine both advantages and investigate for two Fe-N-C catalysts prepared either with or without sulfur in the precursor mixture the effect of IL modification. The unmodified catalysts are characterized using X-ray induced photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fe-57 Mossbauer and Raman spectroscopy as well as N-2 sorption. The electrochemical behavior of the unmodified catalyst and with different pore-filling degrees of ionic liquid (IL) is analysed with respect to double layer capacitance, ORR activity and stability in accelerated stress tests mimicking the load-cycle conditions. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.