Abstract Titania thin films were prepared through the anodisation of titanium metal in a 1.0 M sulphuric acid solution at 80 °C utilising a series of pulsed dc constant currents of increasing magnitude. Films were then tested as a potential anode material for lithium batteries using a variety of techniques. Electrochemical testing revealed that the films (3.8 cm 2 ) offered good rate capabilities affording a constant capacity of 48 μAh for a constant current of 10 μA which decreased to 25 μAh on increasing the current to 1250 μA. Cyclic voltammetry was conducted over a range of scan rates from which capacitive currents were examined and rate constants, transfer coefficients and diffusion coefficients calculated. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was conducted over six potentials in the range 0.1–2.7 V with the experimental data successfully modelled using an equivalent circuit with the notation R(Q(RW))C. TEM observation of focussed ion beam milled cross-sections showed significant structural differences between the as-anodised film and those cycled in a lithium battery. Raman spectroscopy showed that the films had an anatase character that transformed into an unidentified lithium-containing, titanate phase on cycling. Based on a film thickness of 100 nm, and assuming density of 4 g cm −3 such films offered a stable capacity of 316 mAh g −1 .