Encapsulated cathode active material particles, lithium secondary batteries containing same, and method of manufacturing

A method of manufacturing a lithium battery, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a cathode active material layer and an optional cathode current collector to support said cathode active material layer;
• (b) providing an anode active material layer and an optional anode current collector to support said anode active material layer;
• and
• (c) providing an electrolyte in contact with the anode active material layer and the cathode active material layer and an optional separator electrically separating the anode and the cathode;
• wherein the operation of providing the cathode active material layer includes providing multiple particulates of a cathode active material, wherein at least one of said particulates is composed of one or a plurality of cathode active material particles being fully embraced or encapsulated by a thin layer of a high-elasticity polymer having a recoverable tensile elastic strain from 2% to 200%, a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10−6 S/cm at room temperature, and a thickness from 0.5 nm to 10 μm, and wherein said high-elasticity polymer contains an ultrahigh molecular weight polymer having a molecular weight from 0.5×106 to 9×106 grams/mole.