Abstract: Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) made from templates, such as MCM-41 or other molecular sieves possess a regular channel structure, narrow pore size distribution and high specific surface area, which have potential applications in catalysis, separation, adsorption. Based on the classification and synthesis mechanism of silica-based mesoporous molecular sieves, current research advances on OMCs have been introduced with emphasis on important factors in synthesis including type of templates and precursors for carbons, as well as their applications in electric double layer capacitor and catalysis. It is pointed out that the research trend on OMCs should emphasize reducing the cost of silica templates, simplifying process steps and improving their controllability.