ZnCO 3 nanoparticle aggregations with porous morphology are prepared via a facile solid-state metathesis reaction in ambient environments. For the first time, ZnCO 3 is characterized as a novel anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The porous ZnCO 3 delivers an initial reversible capacity of 735mAhg −1 and good rate ability. The good electrochemical performance can be attributed to its unique hierarchy architecture, which facilitates the ion transport and buffers the large volume change during the alloying/de-alloying reactions.