A series of tin lead composite oxides were synthesized as anode materials for lithium ion batteries when the precursor was pyrolyzed at different temperatures in high pure argon. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopic (TEM) and electrochemical measurements. The results showed that the amorphous PbSnO3 exhibited the best electrochemical property among all of the tin lead composite oxides. The initial reversible capacity of the amorphous PbSnO3 was as high as 622 mAh g(-1), and the charge capacity was maintained above 561 mAh g(-1) beyond 20 cycles. Crown Copyright (c) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.