Mesoporous titanium dioxide/tin dioxide/carbon (TiO2/SnO2/C) hollow microspheres are fabricated by a facile strategy. In this composite, SnO2 is sandwiched between TiO2 hollow microsphere and carbon coating layer. This intriguing nanostructure effectively buffers volume change and structural stress, and facilitates electron and ion transport throughout the electrode, thus contributing to excellent cycling stability. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.