A low-temperature reaction route is introduced based on hydroxide precipitation method to synthesize the cathode material LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2. The crystal structure and morphology of the prepared powder have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and Scan electron microscope, respectively. The charge-discharge tests were performed between 2.5 and 4.5 V. The discharge capacity of the material is strongly impacted by the reaction temperature. The powders sintered at 850 degrees C show the best electrochemical performance and the initial discharge capacity is about 160 mAh g(-1) at 5 degrees C. Powder X-ray diffraction and Scan electron microscope results reveal that the excellent electrochemical performances should be ascribed to the lower precursor reaction temperature, the lower degree of cation mixing and analogous spherical small particles, which can improve the transfer of Li ions and electrons. All these results indicate that this material has potential application in lithium-ion batteries. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.