SnO2 hollow spheres are doped with different contents of Al (1,1.5, 2 at.%) by a one-step hydrothermal reaction. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) are utilized to characterize the structures, components, chemical environments, morphologies and specific areas of the as-prepared samples. The investigation in cycling performances demonstrates that 1.5 at.% Al-doped SnO2 hollow spheres exhibit the best cycling stability, with a specific capacity of 443 mAh g(-1) and coulombic efficiency of 99.1% after 50 cycles at 0.1 C, much higher than those of the pristine SnO2 hollow spheres and the other Al-doped samples. The improved electrochemical performances of Al-doped SnO2 hollow spheres are attributed to the increase of electronic conductivity and lithium ion diffusion coefficient, and therefore, enhance the reversible capacity and cycling properties. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.