Abstract: With the rapid development of new energy vehicles and energy storage industry, traditional anode materials are difficult to meet people's requirements of high energy and high density for lithium ion batteries. The layered oxide xLi2MnO3· (1-x) LiMO2 (M=Ni, Mn, Co) rich in Li and Mn is expected to be the most ideal anode material for the next generation of lithium ion batteries due to its high specific capacity exceeding 250mAh/g. However, the Li-rich materials still suffer from high irreversible capacity loss at the first cycle, , poor cycle performance, and inferior rate capacity. To solve these problems, this paper expounds the lithium-rich cathode material structure and electrochemical reaction between the structure-activity relationship, discusses the role of the metal oxides, metal fluoride, carbon, conductive polymer and lithium ion conductors as coating material on the influence electrochemical performance of lithium-ion battery cathode materials. Besides, we also summarize the research progress of the above coating on the mechanism of lithium-ion battery cahode materials. Finally, the future development of coating modification of lithium-rich cathode materials for lithium ion batteries is prospected.