Mechanical properties of MoO3 composite anodes coated with Al2O3 by atomic layer deposition (ALD) were examined using nanoindentation and nanoscratching. Significant improvement in adhesion to the current collector for the ALD-coated MoO3 is observed. This improved adhesion enables enhanced electrical conductivity for these high capacity/high volume expansion materials, suggesting the potential of these coatings for high-energy density Li-ion batteries suitable for vehicular applications. (C) 2010 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3529367] All rights reserved.