Abstract: Nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon nanosheets (NMCNs) were prepared from coal tar and melamine using a layered MgO as template. Porous structures and nitrogen doping levels were readily tuned by adjusting experimental parameters. NMCNs show high specific capacities and excellent cyclic stabilities as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. A sample prepared under optimum conditions shows a high reversible capacity of nearly 1 000 mAh / g at a current density of 100 mA / g, which can be ascribed to its unique mesoporous sheet-structure, a high specific surface area of 1 209 m² / g, and a uniform and high bulk nitrogen content of 8. 6% . Our work demonstrates that coal tar can act as an excellent carbon source for the production of carbon materials with high performance in lithium-ion batteries.