In　the　past　few　decades,　great　efforts　have　been　made　in　exploring　advanced　active　materials　with　improved　electrochemical　performances　in　terms　of　high　energy　density,　good　mechanical/thermal　stability,　environmental　friendliness　and　low　cost　for　practical　applications.　To　accomplish　these　goals,　combining　active　materials　with　other　active/inactive　materials　for　complementary　strengthening　is　an　efficient　approach,　among　these　active　materials,　carbon　materials　are　of　great　importance　to　a　range　of　battery　chemistries,　because　of　it　is　the　most　versatile　element　on　the　periodic　table,　and　its　various　allotropes　make　for　highly　diverse　properties　and　applications.　Nowadays,　carbonaceous　and　carbon-containing　composite　materials　have　attracted　great　attention　because　of　their　high　specific　surface　area,　good　active　center,　adjustable　morphology,　and　excellent　mass　transfer　and　diffusion　properties.　For　example,　biomass　derived　carbon　had　the　advantage　of　being　a　renewable,　low-cost　source,　and　also　can　provide　excellent　porous　3D　nanostructure.　N-doping　of　carbon　have　been　proven　to　improve　the　electrochemical　performance,　as　it　enhances　the　electrical　conductivity　and　also　provide　more　sites.　Furthermore,　N-doped　carbons　are　synthesized　typically　using　various　expensive,　toxic　N　containing　precursors　following　rigorous/complex　experimental　procedures.　In　this　point,　preparation　of　N-doped　carbon　from　naturally　occurring　bio　waste/　biomass　is　very　appealing　as　it　reduces　the　environmental　pollution,　lessens　the　usage　of　toxic　chemicals　and　is　very　inexpensive　both　in　terms　of　source　cost　and　processing　cost.　Graphene　is　regarded　as　the　ideal　conductive　substrate　to　disperse　and　confine　active　materials　because　of　its　excellent　conductivity,　large　specific　surface　area,　robust　mechanical　strength　and　remarkable　stability.　In　the　field　of　rechargeable　lithium-ion　batteries　(LIBs)　and　sodium-ion　batteries　(SIBs),　as　the　next-generation　large-scale　energy　storage　systems,　have　been　widely　studied.　However,　its　energy　density,　power　density,　and　cycle　performance　are　still　the　main　challenges　faced　by　LIBs/SIBs,　especially　as　the　anode　of　the　bottleneck.　Graphite　is　the　most　widely　used　anode　material　for　commercial　lithium-ion　batteries　because　of　its　flat　potential　profile,　high　columbic　efficiency,　and　good　cycling　stability.　However,　the　relatively　low　theoretical　capacity　(372　mAh·g-1)　greatly　limited　the　energy　density　of　lithium-ion　batteries.　To　address　such　issues,　many　carbonaceous　materials　with　various　morphologies　and　structures　have　been　applied.　For　instance,　porous　carbon,　carbon　nanotubes　(CNTs)　or　reduced　graphene　oxide,　owing　to　their　high　conductivity　and　mechanical　strength,　are　widely　employed　as　matrix　to　loading　the　anode　materials.　Meanwhile,　extensive　researches　have　proved　that　nanostructured　materials　can　effectively　enhance　electrochemical　performance　by　reducing　the　diffusion　lengths,　improving　kinetics,　and　increasing　electrolyte　contact　area.　However,　because　of　their　high　surface　energy,　the　nanostructured　materials　always　tend　to　aggregation.　Nowadays,　metal-organic　frameworks　(MOFs)　are　a　class　of　crystalline　porous　materials　composed　of　metal　units　and　organic　linkers.　MOFs　used　as　promising　precursors　to　construct　carbon　coated　metal-based　composites　with　enhanced　individual-particle　conductivity　for　electrocatalysis　and　energy　storage.　Moreover,　interconnecting　isolated　MOF　derived　nanoparticles　can　enhance　interparticle　conductivity　and　accommodate　large　volume　changes　during　cycles.　Transition-metal　oxide/sulfide　have　attracted　considerable　attention　in　recent　years　because　of　their　unique　properties　and　promising　applications　in　electrochemical　energy　storage　and　conversion.　However,　the　limited　number　of　active　sites　and　inherent　low　conductivity　severely　impair　their　electrochemical　performance.　To　top　it　off,　the　fatal　volume　changes　happened　in　cycling　processes　due　to　the　oxidation-reduction　reaction　could　lead　to　the　pulverization　and　exfoliation　of　active　material.　Thus,　like　almost　all　transition　metal　oxygen/chalcogenide　showed　terrible　cyclability,　it　is　the　main　bottleneck　of　their　application　for　LIBs/SIBs.　Carbon　materials　had　good　cycle　performance　during　cycling　because　of　their　good　conductivity.　Therefore,　as　a　load　of　most　negative　electrode　materials,　carbon　materials　can　improve　the　conductivity　and　cycle　performance　of　composite　materials.　Numerous　studies　showed　that　the　structure　of　anodes　was　crucial　for　good　electrochemical　performance.　Hollow　spheres　with　nanometer-to-micrometer　dimensions,　controlled　internal　structure,　and　shell　composition　have　attracted　tremendous　attention　because　of　their　potential　application　in　catalysis,　drug　delivery,　nanoreactors,　energy　conversion　and　storage　systems,　photonic　devices,　chemical　sensors,　and　biotechnology.　Single-shell　and　double-shell　hollow　spheres　of　various　compositions　have　been　synthesized　by　a　number　of　methods,　such　as　vesicles,　emulsions,　micelles,　gas-bubble,　and　hard-templating　methods.　Recently,　more　efforts　have　focused　on　the　fabrication　of　hollow　spheres　with　multiple　shells,　as　these　materials　are　expected　to　have　better　properties　for　applications　such　as　drug　release　with　prolonged　release　time,　heterogeneous　catalysis,　lithium-ion　batteries,　and　photocatalysis.　The　construction　of　three-dimensional　(3D)　architectures　from　transition　metal　oxygen/chalcogenide　nanomaterials　provides　an　effective　strategy　to　solve　these　issues.　Generally,　these　3D　architectures　possess　large　specific　surface　area　which　nanosheets　can　be　maintained　in　the　3D　transition　metal　oxygen/chalcogenide　architecture　as　the　restacking　of　nanosheets　is　effectively　inhibited.　Therefore,　a　great　number　of　electrochemically　active　sites　are　exposed　to　the　electrolyte,　thus　enabling　sufficient　electrochemical　reactions.　This　paper　systematically　summarized　the　types　of　supported　carbon　in　lithium/sodium　ion　batteries　and　the　synthesis　method　of　composite　materials,　starting　from　the　materials　commonly　used　for　transition　metal　oxide/sulfide/selenide　and　carbon　composites　for　lithium/sodium　ion　battery　anode　materials　and　looking　forward　to　the　challenges　faced　by　carbon-loaded　anode　materials.　©　Editorial　Office　of　Chinese　Journal　of　Rare　Metals.　All　right　reserved.