Direct carbon-black coating of the cathode material using a surfactant increases the capacity of a Li-ion cell by similar to10% compared with using bare LiCoO2. The coating method comprises two steps: (i) dispersion of aggregated carbon black using orotano(R)-a polyacrylate dispersant; (ii) carbon-black coating of the cathode material using a gelatin-an amphoteric surfactant. This technology reduces the carbon content in the electrode without sacrificing the cycle-life performance of the cell, and also improves the rate capability of the Li-ion cell. Moreover, the direct carbon-black-coated cathode exhibits excellent capacity recovery and restricted expansion of the cell thickness compared with a bare cathode during storage at 85 degreesC. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.