Abstract: Carbon nanostructures are used to prepare electrode compositions for lithium ion batteries. In one example, a cathode for NCM batteries includes three-dimensional carbon nanostructures which are made of highly entangled nanotubes, fragments of carbon nanostructures and/or fractured nanotubes which are derived from the carbon nanostructures, are branched and share walls with one another. Amounts of carbon nanostructures employed can be less than or equal to 1 weight % relative to the electrode composition.