Nickel-rich layered materials are prospective cathode materials for use in lithium-ion batteries due to their higher capacity and lower cost relative to LiCoO 2 . In this work, spherical Ni 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 (OH) 2 precursors are successfully synthesized through a co-precipitation method. The synthetic conditions of the precursors -including the pH, stirring speed, molar ratio of NH 4 OH to transition metals and reaction temperature -are investigated in detail, and their variations have significant effects on the morphology, microstructure and tap-density of the prepared Ni 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 (OH) 2 precursors. LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 is then prepared from these precursors through a reaction with 5% excess LiOH· H 2 O at various temperatures. The crystal structure, morphology and electrochemical properties of the Ni 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 (OH) 2 precursors and LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 were investigated. In the voltage range from 3.0 to 4.3 V, LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 exhibits an initial discharge capacity of 193.0 mAh g −1 at a 0.1 C-rate. The cathode delivers an initial capacity of 170.4 mAh g −1 at a 1 C-rate, and it retains 90.4% of its capacity after 100 cycles.