Dioxygen adsorption and activation on metal-ligand systems are the key elements for biological oxidative metabolisms and also catalyst design for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). We show, through first-principles calculations, that similar dioxygen adducts can form on metal-free n-type doped hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanostructures. The density of electron donors determines the charge state of dioxygen, either in superoxo and peroxo, which exactly correlates with the 'end-on' and 'side-on' configurations, respectively. Activated O-2 in the superoxo state shows a better catalytic performance possibly mediating the direct four-electron reduction. The formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is practically eliminated, and thus we suggest that a surface coated with the n-type doped h-BN can be the basis for an ORR catalyst with increased stability. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.