Multipurpose alpha-MnO2 nanorods were synthesized by facile hydrothermal method. The synthesized alpha-MnO2 nanorods were characterized by PXRD, UV-vis, SEM, EDX, TEM and SAED pattern to confirm their purity and morphology. These alpha-MnO2 nanorods were employed as a low cost counter electrode in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) and sensor for the detection of nitroaromatic compounds. DSSC device using a- MnO2 nanorods as counter electrode exhibited excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.1% with 0.75 V (Voc) and 0.38 (FF). Furthermore, active surface area of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified by a- MnO2 nanorods (GCE/alpha-MnO2) which showed a rapid sensitivity towards p-nitrotoluene (p-NT), 2, 4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) and 2, 4, 6-trinitrophenol (TNP) with distinct cathodic peaks. The GCE/alpha-MnO2 exhibited the limit of detection (LOD) of 144 nM, 133 nM, 100 nM and a high sensitivity of 17.6 mAmM(-1)cm(-2), 22.6 mAmM(-1)cm(-2), 54.82 mAmM(-1)cm(-2) for p-NT, DNT and TNP, respectively. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.