Aluminum doped LiNiO(2) cathode materials are synthesized by using Raney nickel as the starting material. The structure and composition are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with elemental mapping. The lithium deficiency is analyzed by Rieveld refinement. The initial capacity and retention of capacity are correlated to the lithium deficiency of the resulting cathode material. Using strong oxidant of Li(2)O(2) in the synthesis results in materials with improved electrochemical cyclability. The improvement is related to the diminishing of lithium deficiency in strong oxidizing synthesis conditions. Published by Elsevier B.V.