Short carbon nanotubes (SCNT) containing conductive additives, i.e. SCNT/graphite powder (GP) mixture (SCNTGP) and SCNT/mesoporous carbon (MC) mixture (SCNTMC) were employed as conductive additives for LiCoO2 cathode. GP and MC have similar particle size, but GP has lower specific surface area and higher electronic conductivity. Electrochemical measurements indicate that SCNTGP is more effective in improving the electrochemical performance of LiCoO2 composite cathode under the same conditions. The reason is described as follows. SCNT connect the isolated GP particles to form a more valid conductive network. In addition, SCNT has a certain specific mesoporous surface area, which can absorb some electrolyte solution and then provide buffer lithium ions for quick electrochemical reactions. Consequently, the combination of these two factors would be responsible to the improvement in the electrochemical performance of the SCNTGP loaded cathode. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.