TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Surfactant: The surface active agent is present in amount 0.001-5.0 weight parts per 100 parts of electrolyte.Preferred Solvent: The non-aqueous solvent comprises ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, ethylmethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, gamma-butyrolactone, gamma-valerolactone, alpha-acetyl-gamma-butyrolactone, alpha-methyl-gamma-butyrolactone, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, methyl propionate, ethyl butyrate, butyl acetate, n-propyl acetate, iso-butyl propionate, benzyl acetate or their mixture. Preferably at least 80 volume% of the solvent consists of propylene carbonate and/or gamma-butyrolactone.Preferred Additives: 0.1-10 parts of a carbonic acid ester type additive and/or a sulfur compound type additive are added per 100 parts of electrolyte. The carbonic acid ester type additive is vinylene carbonate, phenylethylene carbonate, phenylvinylene carbonate, diphenylvinylene carbonate, trifluoropropylene carbonate, chloroethylene carbonate, methoxypropylene carbonate, vinylethylene carbonate, catechol carbonate, tetrahydrofuran carbonate, diphenyl carbonate, diethyl dicarbonate or their mixture. The sulfur compound type additive is ethylene sulfide, ethylene trithiocarbonate, vinylene trithiocarbonate, catechol sulfide, tetrahydrofuran sulfide, sulfolane, 3-methylsulfolane, sulfolene, propanesultone, 1,4-butanesultone or their mixture.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Battery: The positive electrode comprises a metal oxide containing lithium. The negative electrode comprises a carbon material. EXAMPLE - A non-aqueous electrolyte was prepared by dissolving 1 mol/l of LiPF6 in a mixed solvent containing ethylene carbonate and ethylmethyl carbonate at a volume ratio of 1:3. A surface active agent of formula F-C8F16-SO2-N(C3H7)-(CH2-CH2)20-SO3Li was added in amount 0.1 wt.%. A battery was assembled using this electrolyte.    The battery was subjected to constant-voltage charging for 2 hours at 20 deg. C under 4.2 V and a maximum current of 500 mA. Subsequently, the battery was discharged at current of 0.2 C and 1.0 C. The ratio of the discharge capacity obtained during discharging at 1.0 C to the discharge capacity obtained during discharging at 0.2 C (1.0 C/0.2 C ratio) was determined and found to be 110 (relative to 100 for a control electrolyte containing no surfactant).    The charged battery was stored at 85 deg. C for 3 days. The amount of gas inside the battery after the storage period was found to be 50 (relative to 100 for the control).