In this study, nanocrystalline LiFePO4/C composite powder has been synthesized via a cellulose matrix-assisted method. In an experiment conducted under extreme conditions involving rapid heating, short high-temperature delay, and subsequent quenching, well-ordered 35-nm crystallites have been obtained within 5 min. A quantitative filter paper has served both as a template and carbon source. It degrades pyrolytically through fragmentation reactions and formation of volatiles when exposed to rapid heating, which further has an impact on powder morphology, as revealed by electron microscopy studies. The electrochemical measurements in terms of galvanostatic cycling have shown that the approach presented in this study may enable to reach good rate capability and excellent cycling stability. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.