A method of forming a
carbon coating includes
heat treating lithium transition metal composite oxide Li0.9+aMbM′cNdOe, in an
atmosphere of a gas mixture including
carbon dioxide and compound CnH(2n+2−a)[OH]a, wherein n is 1 to 20 and a is 0 or 1, or compound CnH(2n), wherein n is 2 to 6, wherein 0≦a≦1.6, 0≦b≦2, 0≦c≦2, 0≦d≦2, b, c, and d are not simultaneously equal to 0, e ranges from 1 to 4, M and M′ are different from each other and are selected from Ni, Co, Mn, Mo, Cu, Fe, Cr, Ge, Al, Mg, Zr, W, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, Sc, Ti, V, Ga, Nb, Ag, Hf, Au, Cs, B, and Ba, and N is different from M and M′ and is selected from Ni, Co, Mn, Mo, Cu, Fe, Cr, Ge, Al, Mg, Zr, W, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, Sc, Ti, V, Ga, Nb, Ag, Hf, Au, Cs, B, Ba, and a combination thereof, or selected from Ti, V, Si, B, F, S, and P, and at least one of the M, M′, and N comprises Ni, Co, Mn, Mo, Cu, or Fe.