Li2Zn0.6Cu0.4Ti3O8 anode material was synthesized by a sol-gel method and the precursor calcinations. The sample is characterized by X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron microscopy(TEM), galvanostatic charge-discharge tests, cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results shows the nanoparticles were high crystalline and their size was found to be ca. 50-100 nm. The electrochemical measurements indicate that the anode material made of Li2Zn0.6Cu0.4Ti3O8 displayed a highly reversible capacity and excellent cycling stability. The initial charge capacities of Li2Zn0.6Cu0.4Ti3O8 are 239.5 mAh g(-1), 225.8 mAh g(-1), 217.4 mAh g(-1),190.5 mAh g(-1) and 171.6 mA h g(-1) at 50 mA g(-1), 100 mA g(-1), 300 mA g(-1), 500 mA g(-1) and 1000 mA g(-1), respectively. After 50 cycles, the charge capacity of 196.3 mAh g(-1), 190.1 mAh g(-1), 177.3 mAh g(-1), 161.5 mAh g(-1) and 154.8 mAh g(-1) could be retained. This indicates that the Li2Zn0.6Cu0.4Ti3O8 material is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.