TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Method: The heat-treatment of the monocarboxylic acid coated nanoparticles in step (B) is performed at (250-850, preferably 300-550, especially 300-400) degrees C. The method further involves adding carbonaceous material to the monocarboxylic acid coated nanoparticles, in a weight ratio of monocarboxylic acid coated nanoparticles to carbonaceous material of (1:1 to 40:1, preferably 7:3 to 20:1, especially 9:1); adding carbonaceous material to the nanoparticle-carbon-composite obtained in step (B); and depositing the nanoparticle-carbon-composite of step (B) on a conductive substrate for an electrode, particularly for a lithium or lithium ion battery with a wet film thickness of (50-300, preferably 90-150, especially 110-130) mu m and with a mass loading of (0.2-30, preferably 1-10, especially 1.5-1.7) mg.cm-2.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The nanoparticles are rod-shaped nanoparticles having an average diameter (2-35, preferably 2-20, especially 3-5) nm and an average length of (5-200, preferably 10-100, especially 25-35) nm; or are sphere-shaped nanoparticles having an average diameter (2-100, preferably 5-50, especially 7-25) nm; and are selected from titanium dioxide, having polymorph selected from rutile, anatase, brookite and titanium dioxide (B) (preferably anatase polymorph of titanium dioxide); or lithium titanate is of formula LixTiyO4 (preferably Li4Ti5O12), silicon oxide of formula SiOx1, and/or transition metal oxide selected from metal oxides of formula M'Ox2 (preferably ZnO, CoO, CuO, Fe3O4, Mn3O4, Co3O4, SnO2, and their mixtures selected from Cux3Sn1-x3O, ZnCo2O4, CoFe2O4, or ZnFe2O4; and transition metal oxides comprising at least one transition metal oxide selected from M'Ox2, Fe3O4, Mn3O4, Co3O4, and their mixtures selected from MgCo2O4 or CdFe2O4).x=0.8-1.4 (preferably 4);y=1.6-2.2 (preferably 5);x1=0-1.8;M'=Sn, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, Mn, or Fe;x2=1-2;x3=0-1.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The monocarboxylic acid is an aliphatic straight-chain saturated or non-saturated monocarboxylic acid (preferably a saturated fatty acid selected from capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and arachidic acid; or a mono or polyunsaturated fatty acid selected from oleic acid, palmitoleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid; especially oleic acid). EXAMPLE - Heat-treatment of the oleic acid-capped anatase TiO2-nanorods was carried out as follows. The oleic acid-capped anatase TiO2-nanorods (having average diameter of 3-4 nm, average length of 25-30 nm and 24.5% oleic acid) were mixed with Super P (RTM: conductive carbon) in 90:10 TiO2/C-weight ratio in CH2C12. The mixture was homogenized in planetary ball mill at 800 rpm for 3 hours. The composite was allowed to dry overnight at 20 plus minus 2 degrees C and then heat-treated at 350 degrees C in air for 12 hours in quartz boat, which was placed in tubular furnace and heated up by 3 degrees C/minute. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) characterizations showed that such thermal treatment did not result in any weight loss for Super P or phase transformation of TiO2-nanorods, but allowed carbonization of oleic acid. TGA performed after this step revealed 85:15 weight ratio of TiO2/C for carbonized TiO2-nanorods, showing that carbonaceous residue was remaining within composite, for forming carbonaceous surface layer. The preservation of single-phase anatase crystal structure of TiO2-nanorods was confirmed by XRD on Bruker D8 Advance (Cu-K, alpha radiation, lambda =0.154 nm). All observed diffraction peaks in XRD pattern were indexed as belonging to anatase phase (ICSD 172914) with space group. The peaks were broad, considering small crystallite size of nanorods. This confirmed that anatase phase was preserved after preparation of composite and following heat treatment and did not undergo any phase transformation to thermodynamically favored rutile phase. Preparation of TiO2-nanorods electrodes was carried out as follows. The TiO2-nanorods-carbon-composite (TiO2-NRs/C composite) was mixed with Kynarflex 2801 (RTM: poly(vinylidenedifluoride-hexafluoropropylene)) (PVDF-HFP) copolymer as binder, in 88:12 weight ratio. No additional carbon was used for electrode preparation. N-Methylpyrrolidone was used as the solvent. The dry composition of slurry was TiO2-nanorods (75 wt.%), carbon (13 wt.%), and PVDF-HFP (12 wt.%). The slurry was homogenized using planetary ball milling at 800 rpm for 1 hour, and then casted on dendritic copper foil by using laboratory doctor blade, with wet film thickness of 120 mu m. The electrodes were dried in air for 1 hour at 80 degrees C then 12 hours at ambient temperature (20 plus minus 2 degrees C). Disk electrodes of 12 mm diameter were then punched and dried for 12 hours at 120 degrees C under vacuum. The active material mass loading was 1.5-1.7 mg.cm-2. Electrochemical characterization was then determined as follows. Electrochemical studies were carried out in three-electrodes type Swagelok (RTM: cells with lithium battery grade lithium metal foils as counter and reference electrodes). The cells were assembled in MBraun glove box with oxygen and water contents below 0.5 ppm. A stack of Freudenberg FS 2226 (RTM: polypropylene fleeces) drenched with 1 M solution of LiPF6 in 3:7 weight mixture of ethylene carbonate and diethyl carbonate was used as the electrolyte. Since lithium foil was used as counter and reference electrode, all potential values given were referring to Li+/Li reference couple. To evaluate charge/discharge performance of TiO2-nanorod electrodes galvanostatic cycling tests were carried out between 3 V (charge limit) and discharge cut-off voltage of 1.2 V. As seen in charge profile of setting cut-off potential at 1.2 V and rate at C/10, where C rate of 1C corresponded to applied current density of 168 mAhg-1, resulted in electrode reversible capacity in first cycle to be 245 mAhg-1, corresponding to 0.73 Li+ per TiO2. The delivered capacity at 1C rate was as high as 210 mAhg-1 with faradic efficiency higher than 99%. At even higher C rates electrodes still delivered high reversible capacities, of 194 mAhg-1 at 2C, and 165 mAhg-1 at 5C (this capacity corresponded to 0.5 mole of Li+ per mole of TiO2) and 130 mAhg-1 at 10C, thus demonstrating high rate capability of nanorods.