In this research, β-MnO 2 nanorods were synthesized by a hydrothermal method, followed by a facile precipitation method to obtain nanocrystalline CeO 2-δ coated β-MnO 2 nanorods. The as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, HRTEM, FESEM, XPS and in-situ high-temperature XRD. The HRTEM results show that well dispersed CeO 2-δ nanocrystals sized about 5 nm were coated on the surface of β-MnO 2 nanorods. The oxygen storage and transfer property of as-synthesized materials were evaluated using TGA under various atmospheres (air, pure N 2 , and 5%H 2 /95%Ar). The TGA results indicate that CeO 2-δ modification could favour the reduction of Mn 4+ to Mn 3+ and/or Mn 2+ at lower temperature as compared with pure β-MnO 2 nanorods and the physically mixed CeO 2-δ-β-MnO 2 under low oxygen partial pressure conditions (i.e., pure N 2 , 5%H 2 /95%Ar). Specifically, CeO 2-δ @β-MnO 2 sample can exhibit 7.5 wt% weight loss between 100 and 400 o C under flowing N 2 and 11.4 wt% weight loss between 100 and 350 o C under flowing 5%H 2 /95%Ar. During the reduction process under pure N 2 or 5%H 2 /95%Ar condition, the oxygen ions in β-MnO 2 nanorods are expected to be released to the surroundings in the form of O 2 or H 2 O with the coated CeO 2-δ nanocrystals acting as mediator as inferred from the synergistic effect between the well-interacted CeO 2-δ nanocrystals and β-MnO 2 nanorods.