A sol-gel method based on citric acid was employed to prepare Li2FeSiO4 as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. The citric acid acts as both a chelating agent and a carbon source in the synthetic process. The obtained Li2FeSiO4 has a monoclinic unit cell in space group P2(1). The average size of Li2FeSiO4 particles is approximately 80 nm. The maximum discharge capacity of 153.6 mAh g(-1) is observed in the third cycle, and 98.3% of the maximum discharge capacity is retained after 80 charge-discharge cycles.