TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Electrolyte: The electrolyte is a liquid mixture of organic carbonates (selected from: ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate and ethylmethyl carbonate; preferably ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate) and LiPF6. Preferably, the electrolyte is a gel consisting of the liquid mixture (that preferably consists of ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate) and poly(vinylidene difluoride).ORGANIC CHEMISTRYPreferred Additive: The additive is selected from: cyanoethylated sucrose, cyanoethylated cellulose, cyanoethylated poly(vinyl alcohol) and their mixtures. The cyanoethylated compound is added as its lithium salt. EXAMPLE - An additive-containing liquid electrolyte stock solution was prepared with ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) in a 1:1 proportion by volume. (In g): LiPF6 (7.6) was added to the solvent (50 ml) and the mixture was stirred at room temperature until the solids dissolved. Cyanoethylated cellulose (CECN) (0.1) was dissolved in 10 ml of the solution. Poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) (1) was dissolved in methyl ethyl ketone (15 ml) by stirring, at 35 degrees C. To this was added additive-containing electrolyte stock solution (2.002) and the mixture was stirred thoroughly. Films of different thicknesses were made by the doctor-blade technique and the ketone solvent was allowed to evaporate. The conductivity (S/cm) and the charge transfer resistance, Rct (ohm.cm2) were measured at different temperatures. The addition of small quantities of cyanoethylated compounds to lithium battery electrodes did not affect their bulk conductivity significantly (0.00121; 0.00188 and 0.00148 S/cm at room temperature, 40 degrees C and 50 degrees C, respectively.) However, a large drop in charge transfer resistance was caused by the additives, especially at high temperatures (383; 67 and 32 ohm.cm2 at room temperature, 40 degrees C and 50 degrees C respectively compared to 404; 302 and 63 ohm.cm2 respectively for films lacking additive.)