Hollow Fe_3O_4(H-Fe_3O_4) microspheres were fabricated through a facile one-step solvothermal synthesis,which was performed in an ethylene glycol(EG)–diethylene glycol(DEG) mixed solvent using polyethylene glycol(PEG) as the stabilizer. The addition of DEG increased the viscosity of the system,which caused the Fe_3O_4 primary crystal to aggregate slower and the morphological yield to approach nearly 100%. The as-prepared hollow Fe_3O_4 microspheres show promise for application in lithium ion battery anodes and showed a reversible specific capacity of 453.3 mAh g~(-1) after 50 cycles at 100 mA g~(-1). Hollow Fe_3O_4 (H-Fe_3O_4) microspheres were fabricated through a facile one-step solvothermal synthesis, which was performed in an ethylene glycol (EG) -diethylene glycol (DEG) mixed solvent using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the stabilizer. DEG increased the viscosity of the system, which caused the Fe_3O_4 primary crystal to aggregate slower and the morphological yield to approach nearly 100%. The as-prepared hollow Fe_3O_4 microspheres show promise for application in lithium ion battery anodes and showed a reversible specific capacity of 453.3 mAh g ~ (-1) after 50 cycles at 100 mA g ~ (-1).