TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The anode composition comprises anode active material (60-75 wt.%), electronic conducting agent (15-30 wt.%) and binder (0-10 wt.%). Preferred Components: The niobium oxide is made of carbon coated oxide particles. The electronic conducting agent is carbon black, acetylene back, graphite, or carbon nanotubes. The current collector is made of copper or aluminum. The composite cathode material comprises an active cathode material i.e. a compound which allows reversible insertion of lithium ions at a potential i.e. more oxidizing than that of the anode, electronic conducting agent, and the binder. The cathode is made of the composite cathode material on the current collector. The active cathode material is (Li(Ni0.5Mn1.5)O4). The electrolyte comprises the lithium salt dissolved in a liquid solvent or in a polymer. The anion of the lithium salt is perfluoroalkylsulfonates, bis(perfluoroalkylsulfonyl) imides, perchlorate, hexafluorophosphate and tetrafluoroborate. Preferred Method: The carbon coating is up to 3 wt.% of the total material.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The liquid solvent is organic carbonates and ionic liquids.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The binder is polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinylpyrrolidone or poly(methyl methacrylate). The polymer is a polar polymer comprising solvating, crosslinked or non-crosslinked polymers. EXAMPLE - Niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5), hydrofluoric acid, titanium isopropoxide (Ti(OC3H7)4), ammonia, and citric-acid monohydrate were used as starting materials. First, Nb2O5 was dissolved in hydrofluoric acid to form a transparent solution. In order to remove the flouride ions from the solution, ammonia was added to obtain a white niobium hydroxide (Nb(OH)5) precipitate. After the precipitate was washed and dried, the Nb(OH)5 was dissolved in citric acid to form Nb(V)-citrate solution. A water-ethanol solution containing Ti(OC3H7)4 was added to this solution while the pH value of the solution was adjusted by using ammonia. This final mixture containing Nb(V) and Ti(IV) ions was stirred to form a citric gel at 90 degrees C. This gel was heated to 140 degrees C to obtain a precursor. The precursor was annealed at 900 degrees C and at 1350 degrees C to obtain the titanium niobium oxide (TNO) product.