Cu2S/carbon (Cu2S/C) composites were synthesized by a hydrothermal method and subsequent calcination using glucose as a carbon source. Cyclic voltammograms and galvanostatic discharge/charge testing results indicate that the Cu2S/C composites can exhibit much higher discharge capacity and better rate capability than pure Cu2S at room temperature. The improvement in the electrochemical performance for the Cu2S/C composites is ascribed to carbon layer onto Cu2S, which can act as a conductive agent to provide a fast path for electron transportation. It is demonstrated that the Cu2S/C composites will be promising anode active materials for LIBs application. Copyright (C) 2014, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.