nanoporous li4ti5o12 (n-lto) was prepared by sol-gel method using monodisperse polystyrene spheres as a template and followed by calcination process. the as-prepared n-lto has a spinel structure, large special surface area, and nanoporous structure with the pore average diameter of about 100 nm and wall thickness of 50 nm. electrochemical experiments show that n-lto exhibits a high initial discharge capacity of 189 mah g(-1) at 0.1 c rate cycled between 0.5 and 3.0 v and excellent capacity retention of 170 mah g(-1) after 100 cycles. eis and cv analysis show that n-lto has a higher mobility for li+ diffusion and a higher exchange current density, indicating an improved electrochemical performance. it is believed that the nanoporous structure has a larger electrode/electrolyte contact area, resulting in better electrochemical properties at high charge/discharge rates.