Nickel oxide-polypyrrole (NiO-PPy) composites for lithium-ion batteries were prepared by a chemical polymerization method with sodium p-toluenesulfonate as the dopant, Triton-X as the surfactant, and FeCl 3 as the oxidant. The new composite material was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Nanosize conducting PPy particles with a cauliflower-like morphology were uniformly coated onto the surface of the NiO powder. The electrochemical results were improved for the NiO-PPy composite compared with the pristine NiO. After 30 cycles, the capacities of the NiO and the NiO-PPy composite were about 119 and 436 mAhÁg À1 , respectively, indicating that the electrochemical performance of the composite was significantly improved.