Abstract: Li-ion batteries (LIBs) play an essential role in the battery market of portable electronics and electric/hybrid electric vehicles due to their high energy densities, low sizes and long service life. However, one of the main issues in current commercial Li-ion batteries is capacity fade along with cycle times increasing. Mechanical degradation, especially fracture of active particle in electrode, is one of major reasons for lithium ions battery capacity fade. Fracture of active particle not only increases the resistance for electron transport result in loss of electric contact and therefore reduces lithium intercalation or de-intercalation, but also generates new free surface area contacting with electrolyte result in new side reactions and more solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer generated. This paper proposes a model coupling lithium ions diffusion, stress evolution, and damage mechanics to simulate center crack growth of cathode particles (LiMn₂O₄) by extended finite element method (X-FEM). The influence of crack surface diffusion (CSD) on stress distribution and fracture behavior is also discussed. Simulation shows the particle will likely crack at high discharge rate, large radius or longer initial central crack. It also shows maximum principal stress will decrease and cracking will become more difficult after considering influence of CSD. Fracture process will follow no crack growth stage, stable crack growth stage, and unstable crack growth stage. Changing the charge/discharge strategy could benefit to prevent crack growth of active particle and capacity fade of Li-ion batteries during electrochemical cycling.