NOVELTY - Positive electrode active composition comprises a layered lithium metal oxide (I), where an optional fluorine dopant optionally replaces not greater than 10 mole% of the oxygen.    USE - The positive electrode active composition is useful for the lithium ion battery including pouch battery (all claimed), which is used: for high energy applications including electric vehicles, transportation devices (fork lifts) and plug in hybrid electric vehicles; in consumer electronics and automotive applications; for mobile communication devices including phones, mobile entertainment devices (moving picture expert groups audio layer 3 (MP3) players and televisions) and portable computers.    ADVANTAGE - The positive electrode active composition: has improved specific discharge capacity of at least 235 or 190 mAh/g cycled at 4.6-2 volts at a rate of C/3 or 1C respectively; has improved average voltage of at least 3.64 cycled at 4.6-2 volts; provides the lithium ion battery having low direct current electrical resistance of not greater than 6 m Omega at 25% state of charge, improved specific discharge capacity of at least 210 or 180 mAh/g (at cycle 250) discharged 4.5-2 volts at a C/3 rate, at room temperature, and improved average voltage of at least 3.45 volts; and provides lithium based batteries having excellent performance at higher rates with high power output, high tap density with reduced cell volume, improved cycling properties, high overall capacity and rate capability, and reduced irreversible capacity loss after the first charge and discharge of the battery.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Positive electrode active composition comprises a layered lithium metal oxide of formula (xLi2MnO3.(1-x)LiNiu+aMnu-aCowAyO2) (I), where an optional fluorine dopant optionally replaces not greater than 10 mole% of the oxygen.    x = 0.03-0.47, preferably 0.15-0.425;    absolute value of a = not greater than 0.3, preferably 0.15;    (2u+w+y) = approximately 1;    w = 0-1, preferably 0.2-0.475;    u = 0-0.5, preferably 0.2-0.4; and    y = not greater than 0.1, preferably approximately 0.    Provided that: both (u+a) and w are not zero. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) a battery (100) comprising a negative electrode (102), a positive electrode (104) comprising the positive electrode active composition, a separator (106) between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an electrolyte comprising lithium ions;    (2) synthesizing the positive electrode active composition comprising co-precipitating a precursor composition comprising manganese as well as nickel and/or cobalt in selected amounts corresponding to a product composition (I), adding a lithium source at a selected point in the process, and heating the precursor composition to decompose the precursor composition to form a metal oxide;    (3) a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion cell comprising a layered lithium metal oxide of formula (Li1+b3Nia2Mnb2Coc2Ad2O2-zFz) (III), and having a discharge capacity of at least 180 mAh/g at the tenth cycle, when discharged at room temperature at a discharge rate of 2 C; and    (4) a lithium ion battery comprising a negative electrode including a graphitic carbon active material, a positive electrode, a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and an electrolyte comprising lithium ions, where the positive electrode active material exhibits a specific discharge capacity of at least 200 mAh/g discharged at 4.5-2 volts, at a C/3 rate and at room temperature, with an average voltage of at least 3.4, and a pulse direct current electrical resistance of not greater than 6 m Omega at a state of charge of at least 30%.    b3 = 0.04-0.3;    a2 = 0-0.4;    b2 = 0.2-0.65;    c2 = 0-0.46;    d2 = 0-0.15; and    z = 0-0.2; and    A = Mg, Sr, Ba, Cd, Zn, Al, Ga, B, Zr, Ti, Ca, Ce, Y, Nb, Cr, Fe, V and/or Li.    Provided that: both a2 and c2 are not 0.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a schematic drawing of a battery structure separated from a container.    Battery (100)    Negative electrode (102)    Positive electrode (104)    Separator (106)    Current collector (108)