Manganese oxides (MnO (x) ) catalysts were chemically deposited onto various high specific surface area carbons. The MnO (x) /C electrocatalysts were characterised using a rotating disk electrode and found to be promising as alternative, non-platinised, catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in neutral pH solution. As such they were considered suitable as cathode materials for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Metal [Ni, Mg] ion doped MnO (x) /C, exhibited greater activity towards the ORR than the un-doped MnO (x) /C. Divalent metals favour oxygen bond splitting and thus orientate the ORR mechanism towards the 4-electron reduction, yielding less peroxide as an intermediate.