A nano urchin-like NiCo2O4 has been successfully synthesized via a facile and scalable hydrothermal method. A NiCo2O4 modified active carbon air cathode was designed, optimized and fabricated. The maximum power density of the microbial fuel cell with newly developed cathode is 2.28 time higher than bare active carbon and is comparable to the commercial available Pt/C, reaching 1730 +/- 14 mW M-2. The modified active carbon showed remarkable improvement in activity towards the oxygen reduction reaction, which was due to the lower charger transfer, lower activation barrier, and higher exchange current density. Electrochemical evaluation showed a direct four-electron the oxygen reduction reaction on NiCo2O4 modified active carbon, compared to a two-stage process on bare active carbon. The non precious NiCo2O4 could be considered as a promising alternative to the costly Pt. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.