A new coating material, LaPO4, was introduced for the surface modification of an Li[Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3]O-2 cathode. The surface morphology, rate capability, cyclic performance, and concentration profile of the LaPO4-coated cathode were characterized. The LaPO4-coated sample demonstrated improved electrochemical properties as compared with a pristine sample. Glow discharge-optical emission spectrometer (GD-OES and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that the LaPO4 coating layer suppressed the dissolution of transition metals (Ni, Mn, Co) into the electrolyte and prevented phase transformation during cycling, results which can lead to stable cyclic performance. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.