A rheological phase reaction method was introduced to synthesize LiNiVO4 powder material. The product was tested using XRD, SEM and electrochemical measurement methods. It was found that single crystal grain LiNiVO4 is easily prepared with the rheological phase reaction; the intermediate product NiV(IV)O3 is the electrochemical active center; the product prepared at 700 °C for 18 h possess the best morphology of single crystal body and exhibits excellent performance as anode material with a small capacity fade. This indicates that LiNiVO4 is a good anode material for lithium-ion batteries and the rheological phase reaction is a simple, economical and effective method to synthesize a series of functional materials.