LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 cathode material coated with graphene nanodots (GNDs) is designed for the first time to enhance the electrochemical performance. The uniform distribution of GNDs with the size of 5 nm on the LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 particle surface can dramatically improve the electronic conductivity. Furthermore, the moderate GNDs coating can provide abundant lithium-ion transportation pathways for the enhanced rate performance. As a result, the GNDs-coated LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 with 0.5 wt% coating amount exhibits a high discharge capacity of 150 mAh g(-1) at the high rate of 5 C. The novel GNDs coating proposed in this study provides a new strategy to improve the power and energy density for lithium-ion batteries. (C) 2019 The Electrochemical Society.