In this paper, we report a synthetic route for cobalt sulfides nanoparticles embedded in porous carbon fibers (Co9S8@C) by carbonizing polydopamine (PDA)-coated metal coordination polymers (MCPs) and subsequent sulfidation process. This material serves as an anode for lithium-ion batteries, which exhibits high capacity and good rate capability. At a rate of 0.1C, a high reversible capacity of 1565 mA h g(-1) is being obtained. In addition, the battery maintains a stable reversible capacities of 606 mA h g(-1) for 300 cycles at 1C. The improvement of lithium-storage performance is mainly attributed to the smart design of carbon-wrapped mesoporous Co9S8 fibers, which not only prevents aggregation and volume change of the Co9S8 particles, but also enables good conductivity, and thus enhances electrochemical stability. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.