TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Device: The electrochemical device includes an anode and the electrolyte includes an additive selected such that the additive is reduced at the surface of the anode so as to form a passivation layer on the anode. The electrochemical device includes an anode and the electrolyte includes an additive selected so as to polymerize at the surface of the anode such that a passivation layer is formed on the anode. The device is lithium secondary battery, where the electrolyte activates at least one lithium metal oxide cathode and at least one anode. In the device, at least one (preferably at least two, especially at least three, particularly at least four) of the substituent is a side chain that includes a poly(alkylene oxide) moiety, where at least one of the side chains includes a spacer linking a poly(alkylene oxide) moiety to the silicon and at least one other side chain has a poly(alylene oxide) moiety that includes an oxygen linked directly to the silicon. At least one of the substituents includes a spacer positioned between the poly(alkylene oxide) moiety and the silicon. At least one of the substituents are each a side chain that includes a cyclic carbonate moiety. At least one of the substituent is a side chain that includes cyclic carbonate moiety and at least one of the substituent includes poly(alkylene oxide) moiety. At least one of the substituent is a cross link that includes poly(alkylene oxide) moiety and that cross links the silane to another silane. The side chain includes a spacer positioned between the poly(alkylene oxide) moiety and the silicon. Preferred Compound: The silane is selected from 10 compounds as given in the specification, e.g. compound of formula H3C-Si(CH3)2-O-(CH2-CH2O)n-CH3; H3C-Si(CH3)2-(CH2)3-O-(CH2-CH2O)n-CH3; or H3C-Si(CH3)2-CH2-O-(CH2-CH2O)n-CH3. The silane further includes at least one side chain that includes poly(alkylene oxide) moiety or cyclic carbonate moiety. The silane is one of several silanes included in the electrolyte. The silane includes several or not greater than 1 of the first substituents.n=1-15.Preferred Electrolyte: The electrolyte further includes at least one secondary silane including aryltrialkoxysilanes (preferably phenyltrimethoxysi lane (PTMS), ethyltrimethoxysilane, pentafluorophenyltrimethoxylsilane, and phenethyltris(trimethylsiloxy)silane); and at least one secondary silane compound of formula Si(R)4-z(R')z. The electrolyte consists of the silane and the salts. The electrolyte includes a lithium(oxalato)borate (LiBOB) salt.z=1-3;R'=alkyl, aryl, or alkoxy (all optionally halogenated) or group of formula (i);R=alkoxy (optionally halogenated), compound (i) or group of formula -R94-O-(CH2-CH(R95)-O)n-R96 (ii);R90=organic spacer;r=1 or 2;R94=absent or an organic spacer;R95=H, alkyl or aryl;R96=alkyl or aryl;p=1-12.Preferred Components: The poly(alkylene oxide) moiety includes an oxygen linked to the silicon. The poly(alkylene oxide) moiety is an oligo(ethylene oxide) moiety having 1-15 ethylene oxide units. The salt is a lithium salt or an organoborate salt (preferably lithium chlorate trihydrate (LiClO4), lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF4), lithium hexafluoroarsenate (LiAsF6), lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), monolithium monocarbon trifluorosulfite (LiCF3SO3), Li(CF3SO2)2N, Li(CF3SO2)3C, LiN(SO2C2F5)2, lithium alkyl fluorophosphates and lithium bis(chelato)borates) having molar concentration of 0.1-3 M. The cathode includes a material selected from LixVOy, LiCoO2, LiNiO2, LiNi1-xCoyM'zO2, LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2, LiMn0.3Co0.3Ni0.3O2, LiFePO4, LiMn2O4, LiFeO2, Li(M1)0.5Mn1.5O4, and/or vanadium oxide. The anode includes a material selected from graphite, carbon, Li4Ti5O12, tin alloys, silicon alloys, intermetallic compounds, and/or lithium metal.M'=Al, Mg, Ti, B, Ga, or Si;M1=divalent metal;x and y=0-4.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Electrolyte: The electrolyte further includes at least one additive (0.01-10 wt.%) selected from vinyl carbonate, vinyl ethylene carbonate, ethylene sulfite, 1,3 dimethyl butadiene, styrene carbonate, aromatic carbonates, vinyl pyrrole, vinyl piperazine, vinyl piperidine, and/or vinyl pyridine (preferably vinyl carbonate, and vinyl ethylene carbonate). The electrolyte is a liquid, and solid or gel. The electrolyte includes an interpenetrating network. The compound is selected from an acrylate having at leas two functionalities, and a methacrylate having at least two functionalities serves as a monomer for a member of the interpenetrating network, and where a diallyl terminated compound serves as a monomer for a member of the interpenetrating network.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Electrolyte: The electrolyte includes at least one solid polymer (preferably polyacrylonitrile (PAN), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene), polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, poly(alkyl methacrylate), poly(alkyl acrylate), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), poly(vinyl acetate), and/or poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)). The interpenetrating network includes a dialkyl acrylate, a dimethacrylate or a dialkyl methacrylate.