TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The electrochemically stable cation is alkaline earth metal, alkali metal, and/or ammonium ion. The electrolyte further comprises additional lithium salt, preferably lithium perchlorate, lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium hexafluoroarsenate, and/or lithium tetrafluoroborate. The positive electrode comprises spinel, olivine, carbon-coated olivine, lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), LixM'yM"zPO4, Li1+x"NiaMnbCocMetdO2-z"Fz", AnB2(XO4)3, and/or vanadium oxide. The negative electrode comprises graphite, amorphous carbon, lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12), M1-qAqLi2-rErTi6-sGsO14-tQt, tin alloy, silicon alloy, intermetallic compound, and/or lithium metal. The positive and negative electrodes comprise carbon black, graphite, amorphous carbon, soft carbon, carbon fiber, and/or metal oxide nanostructure; or carbon, lithiated carbon, Li4Ti5O12, lithiated Li4Ti5O12, manganese oxide, and/or lithium permanganate.M'=V, Cr, Mg, Fe, Co, or Ni;M"=IIA, IIIA, IVA, VA, VIA, or IIIB metal having ionic radius less than the ionic radius of Fe2+;Met=Mg, Zn, Al, Ga, B, Zr, or Ti;x, y, z, a, b=0-1;x"=0-0.4;c=0-2;d=0-0.2;z"=0-0.5;n=0-3;M=Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg, Pb, or Sn;q, r, s, t=0-0.5;A, E, G=divalent, trivalent, or tetravalent metal(s); andQ=monovalent or divalent anion.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The electrolyte is non-aqueous and comprises gel electrolyte containing metal complex salt, crosslinking agent of formula R18-CH=C(R19)-C(O)-(O-CH2-C(X)H)n-CH2-C(O)-C(R20)=CH-R21, monofunctional monomeric compound of formula R22-(O-CH2-C(X)H)q-CH2-C(O)-C(R23)=CH-R24 and radical reaction initiator. An anion of metal complex salt comprises aromatic moiety. The metal complex salt is lithium salt. The electrochemically stable cation is alkyl ammonium, tetraalkylammonium, and/or imidazolium ion. The electrolyte further comprises additional lithium salt, preferably lithium bis(oxalato)difluorophosphate (Li(PF2(C2O4)2)), lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (Li(SO3CF3)), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiN(CF3SO2)2), lithium methide (LiC(CF3SO2)3), lithium bis(pentafluoroethanesulfonyl)imide (LiN(SO2C2F5)2), LiB(C6F5)4, LiB(C6H5)4, lithium bis(oxalato)borate (Li(B(C2O4)2)), and/or lithium bis(oxalato)difluoroborate (Li(BF2(C2O4))). The aprotic solvent is ethylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, ethylmethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, methylpropyl carbonate, methyltrifluoroethyl carbonate, dimethoxyethane, diglyme, triglyme, propylene carbonate, trifluoropropylene carbonate, chloroethylene carbonate, vinylene carbonate, butylene carbonate, dimethylvinylene carbonate, and/or sulfone.R18-R21=H, optionally substituted 1-12C alkyl, or optionally substituted 2-12C alkenyl;X=H, Me, or Et;n=1-15;R22=1-12C alkyl;R23, R24=H, optionally substituted 1-12C alkyl, or optionally substituted 2-12C alkenyl; andq=1-20.Preferred Properties: The metal complex salt exhibits reversible oxidation/reduction reaction at 3-5.5 (preferably 3.9-4.8) V.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The aprotic solvent is polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyether, polyethylene oxide, polyimide, polyphosphazine, polyacrylonitrile, polysiloxane, sulfonated polyimide, perfluorinated membrane, divinyl PEG, PEG-bis-(methyl acrylate), PEG-bis(methyl methacrylate), polyether-grafted polysiloxane, aprotic gel polymer, or mixture, blend, or copolymer of at least two solvents. Preferred Definitions:    M=Na, K, Ca, Mg, NH4, NMe4, or NEt4;    A=B;    A'=P;    X'=F;    Z=O;    R5, R6=F (in formula); or    R5 R6 (together), R7R8 (together)=-Z'-C(O)-R9-C(O)-Z'-;    Z'=O; and    R9=bond, CH2, CFH, or CF2.    SPECIFIC COMPOUNDS - 6 Metal complex salts are specifically claimed, e.g. lithium oxalato(tetrafluoro-1,2-benzenediolato)borate (LiOTFBDB) of formula (1), lithium (difluoromalonato)(tetrafluoro-1,2-benzenediolato)borate (LiDfMTFBDB), lithium bis(4-tert-butyl-1,2-benzenediolato)borate (LiBTBBDB), lithium (difluoro-4-tert-butyl-1,2-benzenediolato)borate (LiDfTBBDB), and lithium (difluoro-4,6-bis(tert-butyl)-1,2-benzenediolato)borate (LiDfBTBBDB).    EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.