Mesoporous spinel lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) nanoparticles with the diameter of 40 +/- 5 nm and the pore-size distribution of 6 - 8 nm were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, these spinel Li4Ti5O12 mesoporous nanoparticles exhibited desirable lithium storage properties with an initial discharge capacity of 176 mAh g(-1) at 1 C rate and a capacity of approximately 145 mAh g(-1) after 200 cycles at a high rate of 20 C. These excellent electrochemical properties at high charge/discharge rates are due to the mesoporous nano-scale structures with small size particles, uniform mesopores and larger electrode/electrolyte contact area, which shortens the diffusion path for both electrons and Li+ ions, and offers more active sites for Li+ insertion-extraction process. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.