Novel synthesis of sea urchins-like TiNb2O7 with hierarchical structure as anode for lithium-ion batteries

•Sea urchins-like TiNb2O7 with hierarchical structure are synthesized.•The obtained materials exhibit a specific capacity of 220 mAh g−1.•Pouch-type full cell exhibits stable fast-charging cycling performance at 15 C.•The hierarchical structure accelerates the kinetics of electrochemical reactions.•Smaller particles organized into larger ones would help to improve energy density.