Complex spinel titanate Li2MTi3O8 (M = Co, Zn, Co0.5Zn0.5) nanowires have been synthesized via a simple synthetic route using titanate nanowires as a precursor. The nanowires are highly crystalline and have been used for the first time as the anode material in a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The battery has exhibited a highly reversible charge-discharge capacity and excellent cycling stability, even at a current density as high as 3.2 A g−1. This result can be attributed to the intrinsic characteristics of spinel Li2MTi3O8 nanowires. A three-dimensional network could provide a diffusion space for lithium ion insertion into and extraction from the anode material, resulting in very good cycle performance, even at a high rate.
