Niobium doped lithium titanate with the composition of Li 4Ti 4.95Nb 0.05O 12 has been prepared by a sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) are employed to characterize the structure and morphology of Li 4Ti 4.95Nb 0.05O 12. The Li 4Ti 4.95Nb 0.05O 12 electrode presents a higher specific capacity and better cycling performance than the Li 4Ti 5O 12 electrode prepared by the similar process. The Li 4Ti 4.95Nb 0.05O 12 exhibits an excellent rate capability with a reversible capacity of 135 mAh g −1 at 10 C, 127 mAh g −1 at 20 C and even 80 mAh g −1 at 40 C. Electrical resistance measurement and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) reveal that the Li 4Ti 4.95Nb 0.05O 12 exhibits a higher electronic conductivity and faster lithium-ion diffusivity than the Li 4Ti 5O 12, which indicates that niobium doped lithium titanate (Li 4Ti 4.95Nb 0.05O 12) is promising as a high rate anode for the lithium-ion batteries.