Sb2O3-coated LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode materials have been prepared using a sol gel process. The surface-coated cathode materials have been physically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and field emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM). The electrochemical characteristics have been investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), galvanostatic cycler, and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Moreover, the Sb2O3 coating does not affect the crystal structure of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 but instead form a thin compact layer on the surface. The 1wt% of Sb2O3-coated LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode coated shows stable cyclability with capacity retention of 98% after the 30 cycles, which is higher than the bare and 2 wt% Sb2O3-coated cathodes and the EIS and CV tests illustrate the suppressed charge transfer resistance and good reversibility for the optimized coating concentration on the cathode. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.