TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The nanostructures comprise nanorods, nanowires, nanotubes or nanoparticles. The nanostructures comprise carbon, aluminum, silicon, germanium, tin, lead, antimony, magnesium, copper, nickel and/or their alloys, preferably silicon; silicon alloys of tin, nickel, copper, iron, cobalt, manganese, zinc, indium, silver, titanium, germanium, bismuth, antimony and/or chromium; silicon oxides or silicon carbides; or metal oxide. The electrode contains no additional electrolytes. The nanostructures have no dimension larger than their critical fracture length or no more than one dimension larger than their critical fracture length. The electrode further comprises 0-10 wt.% conductive carbon particles. Preferred Parameters: The nanostructures are equiaxed and have diameter of 5 nm to 1 mu m, preferably 5-50 nm; or linear and have diameter of 1 nm to 1 mu m, preferably 1-100 nm.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The mixture comprises 60-96 wt.% solvent.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The electrode further comprises binder to bind the nanostructures within the electrode. The binder comprises polyvinylidene fluoride (or 3M cellulose). The solid polymer electrolyte comprises optionally crosslinked polymers including polyethylene oxide, polysulfone, polyacrylonitrile, siloxane, polyether, polyamine, linear copolymers containing ethers or amines, ethylene carbonate, Nafion (RTM: perfluoro-sulfonic acid polymer) and/or polysiloxane grafted with small molecules or oligomers that include polyethers and/or alkylcarbonates. The solid polymer electrolyte comprises block copolymer and lithium salt(s). The block copolymer is diblock or triblock copolymer. A first block of block copolymer is ionically conductive and comprises polyethers, polyamines, polyimides, polyamides, alkyl carbonates, polynitriles, polysiloxanes, polyphosphazines, polyolefins and/or polydienes, preferably ionically-conductive comb polymer comprising backbone and pendant groups. The backbone comprises polysiloxanes, polyphosphazines, polyethers, polydienes, polyolefins, polyacrylates and/or polymethacrylates. The pendants comprise optionally substituted oligoethers, nitrile groups, sulfones, thiols, polyethers, polyamines, polyimides, polyamides, alkyl carbonates, polynitriles and/or other polar groups. A second block of block copolymer comprises polystyrene, polymethacrylate, poly(methyl methacrylate), polyvinylpyridine, polyvinylcyclohexane, polyimide, polyamide, polypropylene, polyolefins, poly(t-butyl vinyl ether), poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate), poly(cyclohexyl vinyl ether), poly(t-butyl vinyl ether), polyethylene, fluorocarbons, polyvinylidene fluoride, and copolymers that contain styrene, methacrylate and/or vinylpyridine. Preferred Parameters: The solid polymer electrolyte has yield strain of 50-500% and elastic modulus of 104-109 Pa. Preferred Method: The anode forming step comprises adding polymer solvent into mixture, casting film of mixture and allowing film to release polymer solvent; or introducing mixture to extruder, adding inert gas to mixture, and extruding mixture to form film.