LiV3O8 was synthesized by the normal citric acid assisted sol-gel method and an improved citric acid assisted sol-gel method. The improved method compares with the normal method in detail by thermogravimetry (TG), FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), charge-discharge test, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Results show that the improved method can synthesize LiV3O8 successfully at much lower temperature than normal method. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.