In this study, dumbbell-like Co3O4 is obtained via calcination of the prepared spindle-like CoCO3 precursor. The Co3O4 displays high specific surface area of 162.7 m(2)g(-1) and narrow pore-size distribution of 3.54 nm. When applied as anode material, Co3O4 delivers a specific capacity as high as 1719 mA h/g for initial discharge, and retains low discharge capacity loss over 200 cycles at 0.1C conditions. The improved lithium storage capability of the Co3O4 anode can be attributed to high specific surface area and the shortened transport path for Li+ that resulted from specific facet effects. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.