Nanorods of manganese (IV) oxide of varying dimensions were synthesized by combining sol-gel chemistry and ternplate-based methods, and have been characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, and ICP analysis. Diffraction studies and ICP analysis indicate that the product formed is an alpha-MnO2 polymorph which crystallizes with hollandite-type structure. Preliminary electrochemical studies on 100 nm diameter nanorods show that these materials are promising candidates for positive electrodes in Li-ion batteries. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy.