In this work, highly porous Sn-C (HPSC) composite was synthesized by a simple carbothermal reduction method followed by a subsequent removal of template. The crystalline structure and morphology of the as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In the HPSC composite, sphere-like tin particles with a wide size distribution (100-300 nm) were dispersed in porous carbon matrix and the Sn/C weight ratio is about 50/45. The electrochemical properties of the HPSC composite as an advanced anode material for high performance lithium-ion batteries were investigated by the galvanostatic method and cyclic voltammetry. The HPSC composite delivers a high specific capacity and good cycle performance with 535 mA hg(-1) even after 60 cycles. Moreover, the HPSC composite also exhibit excellent rate performance. The possible reasons why the composite has such an outstanding electrochemical performance are discussed also. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.