TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Component: The polysiloxane is polyhydromethylsiloxane (trimethylsilyl terminated), polydimethylsiloxane (silanol terminated), or polydimethylsiloxane (vinyldimethyl terminated). The cyclic carbonate-containing polysiloxane can be of formula (I) or (II). It contains at least one cyclic carbonate group of formula (III) or (IV). It can also be poly((3-(2,3)(carbonyldioxy)propyl)propyl)methyl siloxane). The modification silane is alkoxy, silanes, alkanoxy silanes, and/or alkenyl silanes. It can also be methyltriacetoxy silane, vinylmethyldiethoxy silane, tetraethoxy silane, or vinylmethyldiacetoxy silane. The second electrode also comprises alkali ion-conducting polymer electrolyte or lithium-containing polymer. The polymer is an internally derivatized polysiloxane or an end derivatized polysiloxane.R = alkyl, alkenyl, halogenated alkyl, or halogenated alkenyl, preferably a group having 6 or fewer carbon atoms;n, m = integers;n+m = at most10;X = O, S, CO, OCO, or COO;x = 0 or 1;p = 1 (preferably) or 2;q = 1-100;R' = alkyl, alkenyl, halogenated alkyl, halogenated alkenyl, alkanol(OH-(CH2)n), halo, H, or hydroxy;Y = CH2 or halogenated CH2 containing O, S, CO, COO, OCO groupsPreferred Property: The ionic conductivity of the polymer is at least 10-4 S/cm.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The alkali-metal ion-containing material contains lithium. The alkali metal intercalating cathode comprises vanadium oxide (V6O13) or lithium permanganate. The first electrode is lithium. The second electrode is coated with a porous nickel layer. It comprises a compound from titanium sulfide, lithium permanganate, lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel oxide, CuxAgyV2OzLi1.5Na0.5MnO2, LixMnO2, lithium silicon oxide, or V6O13.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The second electrode comprises a layer of 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiodiazole on a copper substrate. EXAMPLE - A polymer composition comprising poly (3(2,3-carbonyldioxy propoxy)propyl) methyl siloxane (0.498 g), acetic acid (1 drop), LiCF3SO3 (0.1090 g), and methyltriacetoxysilane (0.249 g) was prepared. It had an ionic conductivity of 6.5x10-5 S/cm at 25degreesC, and a glass transition temperature of /-26.77degreesC.