Carbon source is a very important factor for the quality of derived carbon coating layer. With this regard, phenanthroline is introduced as carbon source in this work with the aim of getting high-rate Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C composite. The effect of coated carbon on the structure, morphological, and electrochemical characteristics is studied in details. In comparison with the pristine Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 , Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C composite delivers much higher electrochemical performance in terms of reversible discharge capacity, cycling performance, and rate capability. The Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 /C composite exhibits a high discharge capacity of 172 and 145 mAh g −1 at 0.2 and 10 C rate, respectively. After 100 cycles at 10 C, 96.6 % of its initial capacity is retained, demonstrating good cycling stability.