The electrochemical properties of lithium air batteries incorporating air electrodes loaded with MnOx, which had different Mn valences as the electrocatalysts were examined in an organic electrolyte solution consisting of 1 mol l(-1) lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI)/propylene carbonate (PC). Furthermore, we attempted to improve the battery performance by substituting the Mn site in MnOx with Fe, Ni, or Co. The batteries using Mn2-xFexO3 showed rather large 1st discharge capacities of 230 mAh g(-1) at a current density of 0.25 mA cm(-2) in a dry air atmosphere. The discharge and charge overpotentials were both greatly reduced by loading Mn2-xFexO3 catalysts. However, almost all of these oxides exhibited poor cycle performance. Of the oxides that we examined, Mn1.8Fe0.2O3 had comparatively stable cycle characteristics with a capacity loss of only 25% after 10 cycles. Published by Elsevier B.V.