The combination of emulsion drip combustion at 600 C and wet ball-milling followed by heat treatment at 500 degrees C in a N-2 + 3% H-2 atmosphere was performed for the preparation of LiCoPO4/C nano-composites. The obtained material consisted of agglomerates of LiCoPO4 primary particles with a geometric mean diameter of 70 rim, which were covered by a thick layer of amorphous carbon. A cell containing the LiCoPO4/C nanocomposites exhibited a discharge capacity of 134 mAh g(-1) at a charge-discharge rate of 0.1 C. However, the discharge profile of the LiCoPO4/C nanocomposites had a long tail, which may be due to the limited lithium ion diffusion caused by the thick carbon layer that formed on the LiCoPO4 primary particles. The LiCoPO4/C nanocomposites prepared from a mixture of kerosene and heptane with equal volumes consisted of agglomerates of the primary particles with a geometric mean diameter of 97 nm, which were covered by a thin layer of amorphous carbon with a thickness on the order of 10 rim. Furthermore, they delivered a high energy density of 595 Wh kg(-1) at a charge-discharge rate of 0.1 C and exhibited reasonable cyclability, retaining 87% of the initial energy density after 25 cycles. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.