Binary metal stearates were prepared from a direct reaction between metals and stearic acid, which act as single source precursors. Highly monodisperse manganese, cobalt and zinc ferrite (MnFe2O4, CoFe2O4, ZnFe2O4) NPs were synthesized by a direct pyrolysis of the as-synthesized bimetallic stearates without using any additional solvents. With the assistance of sodium chloride, nanosheets of closely packed monodispersed ferrite nanoparticle arrays in carbon matrix were successfully prepared from the developed stearates. As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, electrode made from CoFe2O4/carbon nanosheets showed a capacity as high as 1184 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g(-1). All three ferrite/carbon nanosheets from single source precursors exhibited excellent cycling stability and rate performance compared to those from other precursors. It is attributed to its high chemical purity and morphologic uniformity. This synthetic strategy is facile, inexpensive and readily applicable for large-scale production, thus paving the way for the production of monodisperse nanoparticles and anode materials.