One-dimensional alpha manganese dioxide (α-MnO 2 ) nanorods synthesized by a hydrothermal route were explored as the starting material for preparing lithium manganese spinel LiMn 2 O 4 . Pure and highly crystalline spinel LiMn 2 O 4 was easily obtained from α-MnO 2 nanorods through a low-temperature solid-state reaction route, while Mn 2 O 3 impurity was present along with the spinel phase when commercial MnO 2 was used as starting material. The particle size of LiMn 2 O 4 prepared from α-MnO 2 nanorods was about 100nm with a homogenous distribution. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that the LiMn 2 O 4 thus prepared exhibited a higher capacity than that prepared from commercial MnO 2 . Therefore, α-MnO 2 nanorods are proved to be a promising starting material for the preparation of high quality LiMn 2 O 4 .