A layered lithium-rich oxide, Li[Li0.19Mn0.32Co0.49] O-2, is synthesized by introducing manganese and cobalt via oxalates co-crystallization in reverse micellar microemulsion. The physical and electrochemical performances of the as-synthesized oxide are evaluated as cathode of lithium ion battery. The physical characterizations, from X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope, indicate that the as-synthesized oxide takes a nanorod morphology of up to 1 mu m in length and 200 nm in diameter, which is composed of about 20nm subunit nanoparticles, and possesses a hierarchical pore structure. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the as-synthesized oxide exhibits improved charge/discharge performances: less polarization, larger discharge capacity, higher rate capability, and better cyclic stability, compared to the sample synthesized by introducing the transition metals in solid-state reaction. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.