We report the preparation of sucrose-based nanoporous carbons via template-assisted routes using zeolite USY as the hard-template. Sulfuric acid-pretreated sucrose solution is polymerized and carbonized via adjusting the mass ratios of zeolite over sucrose and temperatures. Large surface area carbons with wide micropore size, developed mesoporosity and moderate storage capacity were obtained. We find that preparation parameters have great effects on the pore structure of carbons. Total pore volume of carbons develops with an increase of carbonization temperature and the presence of zeolite in carbonization processes can effectively enlarge the surface area and pore volume. However, the morphology of carbons is not transferred from zeolites, and micropore in the carbons is almost wholly from the sucrose precursor itself. The hydrogen adsorption properties of carbons at 771( and 20 bar are further investigated in this work. Carbon with a surface area of 1200 m(2)/g exhibits a hydrogen storage capacity of up to 3.65 wt% at 77K and 20 bar, and the hydrogen capacities at higher pressures are found to be much more correlated with surface area and micropore volume of carbons. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.