An active material for a high voltage negative electrode (>IV for Li) of a rechargeable lithium battery is disclosed. The chemical composition is represented by the general formula Li2+vTi3-wFexMyM'zO7-α, wherein M and M' are metal ions, and the radii of these ions are between 0.5 and 0.8, and form an octagonal structure with oxygen elements, for example, Ti3+ , Co2+, Co3+, Ni2+, Ni3+, Cu2+, Mg2+, Al3+, In3+, Sn4+, Sb3+, Sb5+, and the relationship between the oxidation number n and n' of α and M and M' is: 2α=-v+4w-3x -ny-n'z, and the value range is -0.5≤v≤0.5, 0≤w≤0.2, x>0, y+z>0, and x+y+z≤0.7. For all compositions, the structure correlates to that of orthorhosite. Negative active materials are prepared with a ceramic process, wherein lithium oxides, titanium oxides, iron oxides, M and/or M' oxides are used as starting materials for synthesis. Inorganic or organic solid precursors of these oxides may also be used. The mixture is baked after reaction diffusion. The resulting electrochemically active material provides low operating voltage, and capacity with good cycling capability at low and high current densities.