TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The electrolyte comprises 0.1-20 wt.%, preferably 0.5-2 wt.% of ethers based on the total weight of the carbonates and ether. The electrolyte, based on the total weight of the carbonates and ether, comprises 50-80 wt.% of cyclic carbonate and/or 15-40 wt.% of acyclic carbonate and 0.1-20 wt.% of ether. The electrolyte further comprises at least a lithium conducting salt, preferably lithium hexafluorophosphate. The ether is a monoether and/or an oligoether containing at least one carboxylic acid group, carboxylic acid ester, hydroxyl group, thiol group, halogen atom and/or sterically bulky group. The electrolyte solvent or electrolyte additive comprises an ether compound having a structure of formula (R41R42R43C-(CR44R45)y1-O-(CR54R55)y2-CR51R52R53) (II).R41 = carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid ester, hydroxyl, thiol, halo, cyclic alkyl, substituted or cyclic alkenyl, branched or cyclic alkoxy, aryl, heteroaryl, aryloxy or heteroaryloxy, preferably -CO2H, -CO2CH3, -CO2C2H5, -SH or -OH;R42, R43 = H, carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid ester, halo, alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, aryl, heteroaryl, aryloxy, or heteroaryloxy;CR41R42R43 = cyclic alkyl, substituted or cyclic alkenyl, aryl or heteroaryl;R51-R53 = H, carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid ester, halo, alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, aryl, heteroaryl, aryloxy or heteroaryloxy, preferably -C6H11, -C6F11, -C6H5 or -C6F5;CR51R52R53 = branched or cyclic alkyl, substituted or cyclic alkenyl, aryl or heteroaryl;R44, R45, R54, R55 = H, carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid ester, halo, alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, aryl, heteroaryl, aryloxy or heteroaryloxy, where the radicals of R42, R44, R52 and/or R54 are alkyl, the radicals of R43, R45, R53 and/or R55 are hydrogen or alkyl, the radical of R41 is equal to R51 and the radical of -CR41R42R43 is equal to -CR51R52R53; andy1, y2 = 0-5. Preferred Definitions:    R11 = -CO2H, -CO2CH3-, -CO2C2H5, -SH, or -OH;    CR11R12R13 = -CH(CH3)2, -CH2-CH(CH3)2, -CH(CH3)(C2H5), -C(CH3)3, -C6H11, -C6F11, -C6H5 or -C6F5;    R21 = R11; and    CR21R22R23 = -CR11R12R13.