To expand the variety of Sn/C composites, lignite-based porous carbon was initially prepared with Baoqing lignite as the raw material and K2CO3 as the extractant and activator. A novel Sn/lignite-based porous carbon composite was subsequently fabricated via an in situ one-pot synthesis method. In the nanocomposite, Sn nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on lignite-based porous carbon, improving the lithium-ion storage performance of the as-prepared material. Compared with pure Sn and bare lignite-based porous carbon, Sn/lignite-based porous carbon displayed a superior electrochemical performance. The composite material exhibits a high reversible capacity of 941 mAh g(-1) after 200 cycles at 100 mA g(-1). Even after 800 charge/discharge cycles at a high current density of 1000 mA g(-1), the nanocomposite retains a reversible capacity of 573 mAh g(-1). The enhanced lithium-ion storage performance can be attributed to the combined effect of Sn and lignite-based porous carbon. (c) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.