Composite electrodes on glassy carbon (GC) having the structure GC/CC(Ox)/PPy, with CC representing carbon cloth, PPy polypyrrole and Ox mixed valence spinel oxide nanoparticles of transition metals Cu1.4Mn1.6O4, exhibit high reactivity and stability towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), when the ORR proceeds electrocatalytically on the oxide particles dispersed throughout the carbon cloth. PPy here is electrochemically polymerized and serves as a protective layer to make the oxide sandwiched between PPy and CC fiber backbone. In oxygen saturated 0.15 M KCl solution, the composite electrodes show a good performance with current density up to 10 mA cm(-2) under gentle stirring. The enhancements of the composite electrodes for ORR result from the oxide nanoparticles dispersed on high-area CC. Optimal oxide loadings were encountered at 3.5 mg cm(-2). (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.