Developing high-capacity cathode material with feasibility and scalability is still challenging for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). In this study, a high-capacity ternary sodium vanadate compound, nanostructured NaV6O15, was template-free synthesized through sol-gel process with high producing efficiency. The as prepared sample was systematically post-treated at different temperature and the post-annealing temperature was found to determine the cycling stability and capacity of NaV6O15. The well-crystallized one exhibited good electrochemical performance with a high specific capacity of 302 mAh g(-1) when cycled at current density of 0.03 mA g(-1). Its relatively long-term cycling stability was characterized by the cell performance under the current density of 1 A g(-1), delivering a reversible capacity of 118 mAh g(-1) after 300 cycles with 79% capacity retention and nearly 100% coulombic efficiency: all demonstrating its significant promise of proposed strategy for large-scale synthesis of NaV6O15 as cathode with high capacity and high energy density for LIBs. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.