Different nanostructured manganese oxides have been synthesized by a simple precipitation technique using KMnO4 and different alcohols. The synthesized manganese oxides were extensively studied using TEM, XRD, XPS, surface area measurements and electrochemical studies. TEM observations showed a range of nanostructures from nanowiskers to nanoparticles. This synthesis method promises the tuning of electronic and structural properties of the nanostructured manganese oxides by simply varying the alcohols used in the reactions. MnO2 shows more whisker-like morphology while the Mn2O3 shows particle morphology. The nanostructured manganese oxides showed excellent performance as a pseudocapacitor electrode in a neutral electrolyte. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.