A fast sol-gel assisted microwave heating approach has been developed for the synthesis of high-rate Li3V2(PO4)(3)/C cathode material. This approach can synthesize Li3V2(PO4)(3)/C particles with high purity and good crystallinity in 12 min at a low microwave power of 320 W. In the voltage range of 3.0-4.3 V, the obtained Li3V2(PO4)(3)/C delivers a reversible discharge capacity of 100 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles at 20 degrees C, exhibiting excellent rate capability and cycling performance. The rate-recovery performance also suggests that the Li3V2(PO4)(3)/C material possesses excellent structure stability after high-rate cycles, presenting excellent application value in high-power lithium ion batteries. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.