<p>The three-dimensional framework for lithium storage endows TiP₂O₇ with excellent stability and considerable capacity. However, its practical application is hindered by poor electrical conductivity and an unclear understanding of its structural evolution. Herein, we present a nitrogen-doped carbon-coated TiP₂O₇ composite prepared by a straightforward and scalable surface modification strategy, which exhibits superior rate capability compared to previous reports. Specifically, it achieves specific capacities of 435, 341, and 263 mA h g⁻¹ at current densities of 2, 5, and 10 A g⁻¹, respectively. Kinetic analysis confirms that the nitrogen-doped carbon coating on TiP₂O₇ surface significantly accelerates the interfacial charge transfer, leading to a dominant pseudocapacitive behavior. Importantly, ex-situ transmission electron microscopy characterization reveals that the TiP₂O₇ in the composite evolves into homogeneous nanocrystals after 100 cycles at a low current density of 0.2 A g⁻¹. By contrast, despite the TiP₂O₇ transforming into nanocrystals with inconsistent sizes and reduced crystallinity after 1000 cycles at a high current density of 1 A g⁻¹, the effective coating of N-doped carbon preserves the capacity of the anode at up to 462.6 mA h g⁻¹. These findings suggest that this universal strategy can significantly enhance the performance of TiP₂O₇-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>