B2O3/hard carbon (BOHC) composites are prepared by adding boron acid in the precursor using wet chemical method. XRD, Raman, X-ray photoelectron (XPS), SEM and IR techniques have been used to characterize the composites. The electrochemical performance of the composites is then evaluated. It is found that the capacity of the hard carbon is enhanced after B2O3 is added while B2O3 itself almost shows no lithium storage capacity. Experiments are then carried out to optimize the electrochemical performance of this kind of composites. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.