Microsized MnO/C composites are synthesized through a facile strategy of in situ interfacial polymerization followed by a simple carbonization process. The MnO/C composites exhibit solid microspherical structure having low specific surface area and high tap density. When evaluated as an anode material for Li-ion batteries, the MnO/C composites show a high gravimetric/volumetric specific capacity of 818 mAh g(-1)/1374 mAh cm(-3) at 100 mA g(-1), excellent cycling stability (a capacity retention rate of 99.3% after 100 cycles), and good rate capacity. The microsized MnO/C anode also manifests outstanding capacity recoverability in the different cut-off voltage range of 1.5-3.0 V. The excellent Li-ion storage properties of the MnO/C solid microspheres demonstrate its potential feasibility of practical application for high-performance Li-ion batteries. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.