TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compounds: The compound containing cyano-alkoxy-borate anions (I) is of formula (Kt2)z+ z(B(CN)4-x(OR')x)- (Ib).(Kt2)z+=inorganic or organic cation, or H+ (preferably organic cation selected from sulfonium, oxonium, ammonium, phosphonium, uronium, thiouronium, guanidinium cations or heterocyclic cations; especially oxonium cation of formula (i), sulfonium cation of formula (ii), ammonium cation of formula (iii), phosphonium cation of formula (iv), uronium cation of formula (v), thiouronium cation of formula (vi), guanidinium cation of formula (vii), heterocyclic cations (viii), or lithium cation).Preferred Composition: The electrolyte formulation comprises the compound containing the cyano-alkoxy-borate anions (Ib) in concentrations of (0.1-5 M). Preparation (claimed): The preparation of the compound containing cyano-alkoxy-borate anions (preferably compound (Ib)) involves:(1) process (A): reaction of a compound of formula (Me1)+ (B(OR')4)- (II) (where R' = straight-chain or branched 1-12C alkyl) with trialkylsilylcyanide (where alkyl denotes straight-chain or branched 1-4C alkyl) ( greater than or equal to 3 equivalents), to form compound of formula (Me1)+ (B(CN)3(OR'))- (Ib1) (where (Kt2)z+ = alkali metal cation, and x = 1);(2) process (B): reaction of a compound of formula (Me1)+(BF4)- (III) with trialkylsilylcyanide and alkoxytrialkylsilane (where alkoxy = OR', and alkyl groups denote straight-chain or branched 1-4C alkyl), to form compound of formula (Me1)+ (B(CN)3(OR'))- (Ib1);(3) process (C): reaction of the compound (II) with trialkylsilylcyanide at room temperature, in the presence of an organic solvent and trialkylsilylcyanide (2 equivalents per equivalent of the compound (II)), to form compound of formula (Me1)+ (B(CN)2(OR')2)- (Ib2) (where (Kt2)z+ = alkali metal cation, and x = 2); or(4) process (D): reaction of alkali metal salt of formula (Ib1) or (Ib2), or compound of formula H(B(CN)3(OR')) or H(B(CN)2(OR')2), with a compound of formula Kt'A', to form compound of (Ib) (where (Kt2)z+ = another cation than the used alkali metal cation in the starting material in a salt-exchange reaction).(Me1)+=alkali metal cation;Kt'=organic cation or metal cation other than alkali metal cation of the compound (Ib1) or (Ib2);A'=F-, Cl-, Br-, I-, or OH- (for the synthesis of compounds (Ib1)); or (HF2)-, (CN)-, (SCN)-, (R1C(O)O)-, (R1OC(O)O)-, (R1SO3)-, (R2C(O)O)-, (R2SO3)-, (R1OSO3)-, (SiF6)2-, (BF4)-, (HOCO2)-, (HSO4)-, (NO3)-, ((R1)2P(O)O)-, (R1(R1O)P(O)O)-, ((R2)2P(O)O)-, (R2P(O)O2)2-, tosylate, malonate (optionally substituted by straight-chain or branched 1-4C alkyls); (SO4)2-, or (CO3)2- (for the synthesis of compounds containing metal cation);R1=straight-chain or branched 1-12C alkyl;R2=straight-chain or branched perfluorinated 1-12C alkyl.In the process (A), the reaction temperature is 10-150 degrees C. Full Definitions:    (Kt1)z+=H+; inorganic cation selected from NO+, Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, Mg2+, Cu+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Ag+, Ca2+, Y3+, Yb3+, La3+, Sc3+, Ce3+, Nd3+, Tb3+, or Sm3+; organic cation selected from complex (ligands containing) metal cations including rare-earths, transitions or noble metals such as rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, palladium, platinum, osmium, cobalt, nickel, iron, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, thorium, uranium, or gold; or oxonium cation of formula ((R'a)3O)+ (i), sulfonium cation of formula ((R'b)3S)+ (ii), ammonium cation of formula (N(R'd)4)+ (iii), phosphonium cation of formula (P(R2)4)+ (iv), uronium cation of formula (C(NR3R4)(OR5)(NR6R7))+ (v), thiouronium cation of formula (C(NR3R4)(SR5)(NR6R7))+ (vi), guanidinium cation of formula (C(NR8R9)(NR10R11)(NR12R13))+ (vii), or heterocyclic cation of formula (HetN)z+ (viii) selected from 30 cations as given in the specification e.g. imidazolium cation of formula (viiia), pyrrolidinium cation of formula (viiib), pyridinium cation of formula (viiic), piperazinium cation of formula (viiid), and indolium cation of formula (viiie);    R'a=straight-chain or branched 1-8C alkyl, or phenyl (optionally substituted by R'a, OR'a, N(R'a)2, CN, or halo);    R'b=R'a, or (R'c)2N;    R'c=straight-chain or branched 1-6C alkyl;    R'd, and R2=H, OR'e, N(R'e)2, straight-chain or branched 1-20C alkyl, straight-chain or branched 2-20C alkenyl having at least one double bond, straight-chain or branched 2-20C alkynyl having at least one triple bond, or optionally partially or fully unsaturated 3-7C cycloalkyl (optionally substituted by 1-6C alkyls) (where 1 or 2 of R'd, and R2 are optionally partially or fully substituted by halo (preferably F and/or Cl), or partially by substituent selected from T'; and 1 or 2 non-adjacent carbon atoms in R'd, and R2 which are not in the alpha -position are optionally replaced by atoms and/or atom groups selected from T'1);    T'=OH, OR'e, CN, N(R'e)2, C(O)OH, C(O)N(R'e)2, SO2N(R'e)2, C(O)X1, SO2OH, SO2X1, NO2, SR'e, S(O)R'e, or SO2R'e;    T'1=-O-, -S-, -S(O)-, -SO2-, -SO2O-, -C(O)-, -C(O)O-, -N+(R'e)2, -P(O)R'eO-, -C(O)NR'e-, -SO2NR'e-, -OP(O)R'eO-, -P(O)(N(R'e)2)NR'e-, -P(R'e)2=N-, or -P(O)R'e-;    R'e=H, straight-chain or branched 1-18C alkyl (optionally partially fluorinated or perfluorinated), saturated 3-7C cycloalkyl, or optionally substituted phenyl;    X1=halo;    R3, R4, R6 and R7=H, straight-chain or branched 1-20C alkyl, straight-chain or branched 2-20C alkenyl having at least one double bond, straight-chain or branched 2-20C alkynyl having at least one triple bond, or optionally partially or fully unsaturated 3-7C cycloalkyl (optionally substituted by 1-6C alkyls) (where 1 or 2 of R3, R4, R6 and R7 are optionally partially or fully substituted by halo (preferably F and/or Cl), or partially by substituent selected from T'; and 1 or 2 non-adjacent carbon atoms in R3, R4, R6 and R7 which are not in the alpha -position are optionally replaced by atoms and/or atom groups selected from T'1);    R5=straight-chain or branched 1-20C alkyl, straight-chain or branched 2-20C alkenyl having at least one double bond, straight-chain or branched 2-20C alkynyl having at least one triple bond, or optionally partially or fully unsaturated 3-7C cycloalkyl (optionally substituted by 1-6C alkyls) (where 1 or 2 R5 are optionally partially or fully substituted by halo (preferably F and/or Cl), or partially by substituent selected from T'; and 1 or 2 non-adjacent carbon atoms in R'5 which are not in the alpha -position are optionally replaced by atoms and/or atom groups selected from T'1);    R8 to R13=H, CN, OR'e, N(R'e)2, straight-chain or branched 1-20C alkyl, straight-chain or branched 2-20C alkenyl having at least one double bond, straight-chain or branched 2-20C alkynyl having at least one triple bond, or optionally partially or fully unsaturated 3-7C cycloalkyl (optionally substituted by 1-6C alkyls) (where 1 or 2 of R8 to R13 are optionally partially or fully substituted by halo (preferably F and/or Cl), or partially by substituent selected from T'; and 1 or 2 non-adjacent carbon atoms in R8 to R13 which are not in the alpha -position are optionally replaced by atoms and/or atom groups selected from T'1);    R'1, R'2, R'3, and R'4=T1, or T2 (having 1-3 substituents from R'1 to R'4 optionally partially or fully substituted by halo (preferably F and/or Cl), or partially by substituent selected from T'; and 1 or 2 non-adjacent carbon atoms in the R'1 to R'4 which are not bonded to the heteroatom optionally replaced by atoms and/or atom groups selected from T'1);or    R'1, R'2, R'3 and/or R'4 taken together=ring system;    T1=H, halo, CN, OR'e, N(R'e)2, P(O)(R'e)2, P(O)(OR'e)2, P(O)(N(R'e)2)2, C(O)R'e, C(O)OR'e, C(O)X1, C(O)N(R'e)2, SO2N(R'e)2, SO2OH, SO2X,1 -SR'e, S(O)R'e, SO2R'e and/or NO2;    T2=H, straight-chain or branched 1-20C alkyl (optionally fluorinated or perfluorinated), straight-chain or branched 2-20C alkenyl having at least one double bond (optionally partially fluorinated), straight-chain or branched 2-20C alkynyl having at least one triple bond (optionally partially fluorinated), optionally partially or fully unsaturated 3-7C cycloalkyl (optionally substituted by 1-6C alkyls), optionally partially or fully unsaturated heteroaryl, heteroaryl-1-6C-alkyl, and/or aryl-1-6C-alkyl.    Provided that:    (1) a maximum of one substituent R'd in cation of formula (iii) is OR'e, or N(R'e)2;    (2) R'1, R'3, and R'4 are selected form T1, or T2;    (3) R'2 is selected from T1; and    (4) R'1 and R'4 cannot simultaneously be fully substituted by halo.    SPECIFIC COMPOUNDS - Use of 13 compounds is disclosed as the compound containing cyano-alkoxy-borate anions e.g. tetrabutylammonium tricyanoethoxyborate; 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanoethoxyborate; N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium tricyanomethoxyborate; tetrabutylammonium tricyanomethoxyborate; and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tricyanomethoxyborate of formula (I').    EXAMPLE - An electrolyte formulation was prepared using (moles) of 1,3-dimethyl-imidazolium iodide (36), 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (36), and 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tricyanomethoxyborate (72). Using the electrolyte, fabrication of dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) was carried out as described in US5728487 or WO2007/093961. The DSSC characteristics at varied temperature were then determined. The measurements of photocurrent-voltage curves were carried out under air mass 1.5 simulated sunlight (AM 1.5) with temperature control for devices fabricated by using the electrolyte placed on black plate chilled down to 25 degrees C under 1 Sun illumination. A photomask of 4 mm x 4 mm was placed on top of the devices to define light projection area. The cell gap was 20 micron. The solar cell showed following photovoltaic parameters: short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) (mAcm-2) = 8.71, open-circuit photovoltage (Voc) (V) = 0.69, fill factor (FF) = 0.69, and power conversion efficiency ( eta ) (%) = 4.17.