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The purpose of this article was to explore the influences of synthetic methods on the lignin-based carbon materials. In this paper, the lignin-based activated carbon materials were comparatively researched in ZnCl2 solution using various methods, including the microwave-assisted method, ultrasound method, and UV irradiation method, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were used to characterize the as-prepared samples. The effects of the synthetic parameters including the types of lignin, activated solution concentration, types of activated solution, and synthetic methods on the morphologies, thermal stability, and specific surface area of samples were comparatively investigated in detail. The specific surface area of lignin-based activated carbon increased to 473.8, 765.3, and 211.2 m2∙g&minus, 1 using the microwave-assisted method, ultrasound method, and UV irradiation method, respectively, compared with that of the control (113.4 m2∙g&minus, 1). The lignin-based carbon materials displayed the enhanced absorptive capacity, compared with that of the control. These novel synthetic methods reported here maybe have a guiding significance for the synthesis of carbon materials using the lignin as precursors.