Carbonized porous aromatic framework (CPAF) nanobeads with 75 wt% S (SCPAF) were synthesized by a simple method. The surface areas of CPAF and SCPAF were 679.8 m(2).g(-1) and 2.0 m(2).g(-1) respectively, and the predominant micropores both centered at 0.46 nm. The spherical morphology guaranteed high tap density of Li-S batteries. After S loading, the SCPAF nanobeads exhibited excellent electrochemical performances. It showed high initial capacity of 1397.3 mAh.g(-1) at 0.2C, which is 83.4% of the theoretical value of sulfur. And at 0.5C, it shows 0.074% decay rate per cycle over 1000 cycles. The good rate capability and long-term cycling stability indicated CPAF nanobeads composite is a promising sulfur support for Li-S batteries. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.