The Ni-rich cathode material (LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2) has the advantage of high capacity and is the most potential cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, the poor cycle performance and rate capability limit its application. In this work, the structure evolution of the cathode material during the synthesis process and the influence of manufacturing temperature on the material properties were studied, and the potential causes of the structural changes and electrochemical degradation of the cathode material during the cycle were analyzed in detail. The physicochemical characterizations were conducted by employing the thermal gravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry (TG/DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), etc. The cycle performance, rate performance, and other electrochemical properties were examined by electrochemical testing equipment. The results showed that the cathode material synthesized at 500℃ for 4 h and 750℃ for 14 h presents uniform particle size, good spherical structure, smooth surface of primary particles, compact arrangement, and stable crystal structure, which can alleviate polarization during cycling. Due to the proper particle size obtained at the optimized synthesis temperature, a relatively high initial discharge capacity, small volume changes, and slowly increased interfacial film resistance for the material were achieved, contributing to good Li+ diffusion kinetics. At 0.2 C, the first discharge-specific capacity was 186.2 mAh/g and the first charge-discharge efficiency was 82.5%. At 1 C, the discharge-specific capacity before and after 100 cycles were 185.1 and 175.2 mAh/g, respectively, and the capacity retention rate was up to 95.2%. The study of the synthesis and structural changes of Ni-rich cathode materials in this work can deepen the understanding of the materials and help improve the electrochemical performance of the materials.