In this paper, rheological phase method has been successfully applied to synthesize nanosized alpha-LiFeO2, a promising cathode material of lithium-ion batteries. The formation, structure and morphology of the as prepared powder were characterized by Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses (TGA/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The particle size of the obtained alpha-LiFeO2 ranged from 100 to 300 nm. It exhibited an initial discharge capacity 169 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 C between 1.5 and 4.3 V, especially excellent cycling retention from the 10th to the 50th cycle (96.8%) between 1.5 and 4.3 V. The higher crystallinity degree might be responsible for the cyclability improvement. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.