MoO3 could be a promising high capacity anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, its applications have been hindered by its poor electronic conductivity. To address these issues, in this work, HxMoO3@C nanobelts were synthesized by mild hydrothermal treatment of precursor MoO3 nanobelts only with the assistance of glucose and ethanol. Subsequently, a catalysis-insertion model was proposed to describe the formation of HxMoO3 nanobelts. When tested as LIBs anodes, the superior reversible capacities of LIBs anodes were realized from HxMoO3@C nanobelts. The HxMoO3@C nanobelts electrode exhibited superior reversible capacity of 480 mAh g(-1) retained at 200 mA g(-1) after 100 cycles, and a superior rate capacity of 337 mAh g(-1) retained after 100 cycles at 500 mA The superior performance, achieved in HxMoO3@C nanobelts anode system are attributed to the synergistic effect of the conductive HxMoO3, the enlargement of interplanar spacing and uniform carbon coating shell. Copyright (C) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.