In this study, Li4SiO4-coated LiFePO4 cathode material was synthesized by sal-gel method and microwave heating. The structure and electrochemical properties of the prepared cathode at room temperature were investigated. The XRD results indicate that the Li4SiO4 coating modification does not affect the structure of LiFePO4 and the Li4SiO4-coated LiFePO4 cathode material still has olivine structure. The TEM image reveals That the Li4SiO4 coating is a nanoscale amorphous layer. The electrochemical measurements of Li4SiO4-coated LiFePO4 show that the discharge capacity, cycling stability and interfacial resistance are improved by the Li4SiO4 coating. Thus, surface coating with Li4SiO4 is a feasible approach for enhancing the electrochemical performance of LiFePO4. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.