The mild combustion synthesis of cobalt vanadate involving the reaction of V2O5, Co(NO3)(2) and glycine as starting materials is reported. The synthesized material is annealed at 550 degreesC and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD). cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling techniques. XRD analysis indicates that the structure of the synthesized cobalt vanadate is amorphous. The initial delivered capacity is similar to275 mAh g(-1) in a Li//CoV2O5 cell at a current density of 0.05 mA cm (2) when cycled between 2 and 4 V using 1 M LiClO4 in propylene carbonate as electrolyte. The capacity remains stable even after 10 cycles. The cobalt vanadate prepared by this new synthetic route is, therefore, a potential candidate for lithium secondary batteries.