A novel approach to regulate nanoparticles morphology using capping agents (etidronic, succinic, tartaric and salicylic acids) in hydrothermal synthesis is presented. UV–Vis and FTIR spectra showed that influence of the capping agents is based on the interaction with particles surface during the solid phase formation. For na-VO ₂ nanorods a 1st order phase transition at 275 K was demonstrated using vibration sample magnetometry. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that this transition is accompanied by 2nd order transition at 320 K. Decrease in rods thickness and length for sal-VO ₂ and suc-VO ₂ made the transition less expressed and its temperature lowered from 275 to 150 K. Addition of tartaric and etidronic acids led to change of particles shape from rods to spheres and eliminated all the transitional changes in magnetic properties. Charge-discharge tests revealed that initial discharge capacity of nanorods was 100 mA h g ⁻¹, which is three times higher than that of spheres.