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• Biomass-derived carbon is used for conversion-alloying type anodes. • ZnMn 2 O 4 nanoparticles in porous carbon are successfully synthesized. • The composites deliver superior lithium storage performance with high capacity and good cyclability. • The unique structure with ZnMn 2 O 4 nanoparticle and porous carbon integration accounts for the superior performance. Conversion-alloying type anode materials are conceived as very promising candidates to replace graphite for high-energy lithium-ion batteries. Here, we demonstrated a facial approach using biomass-derived carbon to improve the ZnMn 2 O 4 materials as anodes. A composite of ZnMn 2 O 4 nanoparticles/pine needle-derived carbon is synthesized with a high reversible capacity of 1000 mA h g−1 at 0.2 C and superior rate capability of 727 mA h g−1 at 2.0 C without capacity loss for 500 cycles. Pseudocapacitive contribution and highly improved conversion reaction mechanisms are responsible for the capacity improvement. Moreover, the conductive biomass-derived porous carbon can facilitate the charge transfer and buffer the volume expansion upon conversion-alloying reactions of the ZnMn 2 O 4 materials. This work provides a feasible way to fabricate low-cost and high performance materials for lithium-ion batteries towards higher sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]