An electrode material for a lithium secondary battery which includes
particles each having a central portion and a surface portion covering
the surface of the central portion. A distance from a center to an
outermost surface of the particle is occupied 80 to 99% by the central
portion and 1 to 20% by the surface portion. The central portion includes
LiM.sub.1-aD.sub.aO.sub.2 having an .alpha.-NaFeO.sub.2 structure, and
the surface portion includes LiM.sub.1-bE.sub.bO.sub.2 having an
.alpha.-NaFeO.sub.2 structure. (M is C or Ni; D is a transition metal
element or Al replacing a part of Co or Ni as M; E is a metal element
replacing a part of Co or Ni as M; and M is not the same as D or E.) The
following relationships are satisfied in the central portion, in terms of
atomic ratio: D/(M+D+E)<0.05 and E/(M+D+E)<0.05.