Ferrocene can be used as a precursor for the synthesis of carbon-coated alpha-Fe2O3 nano-particles. The pyrolysis of ferrocene leads to the formation of a compound that can be fully converted into carbon-coated alpha-Fe2O3 cc nano-particles via a simple oxidation in air. This simple, fast and cheap synthetic route enables the realization of carbon-coated nano-particles with particle size in the range of 50-150 nm. Moreover, varying the oxidation temperature, it is possible to control precisely the carbon coating present on the nano-particles. The so obtained carbon-coated alpha-Fe2O3 nano-particles can be easily processed in water to realize composite electrodes with a composition suitable for practical application. When used in combination with conventional electrolytes such electrodes display high specific capacity (over 800 mAh g(-1) at 0.13 A g(-1)), excellent cycling retention (higher than 99% after 50 cycles), and remarkable rate performance (over 400 mAh g(-1) at 5 A g(-1)). (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.