POWDER MATERIALS, METHODS FOR FORMING THE SAME, AND ELECTRODES FORMED THEREFROM

Methods are provided for forming powder materials, and the powder materials and electrodes formed therefrom are also provided. The methods include providing an initial powder having initial particles that each include an electroactive material, coating the initial particles with a doping compound that includes a dopant material to define coated particles of an intermediate powder, exposing the coated particles to a reducing agent that contains fluorine, and performing a heat treatment on the coated particles while exposed to the reducing agent at an elevated temperature and period of time sufficient to cause a solid-state reaction and diffusion of the dopant material into the electroactive material to form a doped region within the electroactive material and thereby define doped particles of a final powder material. The doped region extends at least one nanometer into the electroactive material, and the fluorine reacts with oxides formed on surfaces of the coated particles.