TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The carrying medium comprises one of water and salt, an organic solvent mixed with a salt or a combination of water and organic solvent mixed with a salt, an inert gas, and contains a carbon-containing compound. The precursors comprise at least one of lithium hydroxide, ferrous sulfate, phosphoric acid, nickel nitrate, cobalt(II) nitrate or aluminum chloride. The active material is lithium-iron-phosphate, lithium-(nickel)0.8-(cobalt)0.15-(aluminum)0.05 dioxide, lithium cobalt dioxide, lithium manganese dioxide, titanium disulfide, lithium nickel cobalt manganese dioxide of formula (LiNixCO1-2xMnO2) (I), lithium-manganese oxide, lithium iron magnesium phosphate of formula (LiFe1-yMgPO4) (II), lithium molybdenum phosphate, lithium cobalt phosphate, monoclinic lithium vanadium phosphate, lithium vanadyl(IV) orthophosphate, lithium phosphate of formula (LiMP2O7), lithium iron phosphate (LiFe1.5P2O7), lithium vanadium fluorophosphate, amblygonite, lithium vanadium fluorophosphates, lithium chromium fluorophosphates, lithium cobalt fluorophosphates (Li2CoPO4F), lithium nickel fluorophosphates, sodium vanadium fluorophosphates, lithium iron silicate, lithium manganese silicate, lithium vanadyl(IV) silicate, and/or lithium nickel oxide.x = 0-0.5;y = 0-1; andM = not defined.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Method: The method further comprises: mixing a binder material with the active material, where the layer further comprises the binder material, which is uniformly distributed between the crystals of the active material; continually mixing the precursors with a carrying medium prior to flowing the precursors into the reactor chamber; forming a thin carbon layer around each of the crystals of active material; and annealing the layer of active material by flowing a quenching gas into the spray chamber. Preferred Components: The chamber tube comprises: a tube made of polytetrafluoroethylene or quartz; a tube of microwave transparent material coated in a polytetrafluoroethylene or quartz. The energy source produces at least one of microwave energy, ultrasonic energy, direct current voltage, and radio frequency energy. The energy applicator surrounds the chamber tube. The spray chamber comprises a chamber body, and at least one spray nozzle fluidly coupled to the outlet of the chamber tube, where the spray nozzle is a direct current plasma spray nozzle or a radio frequency inductive plasma spray nozzle. The apparatus further comprises: a carrying medium supply (302), and a mixer (303) fluidly coupled to the at least one precursor supply, the carrying medium supply, and the inlet of the chamber tube; an exhaust conduit fluidly coupled to the outlet of the chamber tube to provide a path for removing byproducts from fluid exiting the chamber tube prior to entering the spray chamber; a binder supply, and a mixer, where the mixer is fluidly coupled to the binder supply, the outlet of the chamber tube, and the spray chamber; a carbon source supply, and a mixer, where the mixer is fluidly coupled to the carbon source supply, the outlet of the chamber tube, and the spray chamber; a quenching gas supply fluidly coupled to the spray chamber.