TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The separator is fabricated by internally supporting an inorganic material or coating an inorganic material or a mixture of the inorganic material and a polymer. The inorganic material comprises silicon oxide compound of formula (SiOx), aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide and/or titanium dioxide. The negative electrode comprises a carbon-based negative active material and a water-soluble binder.x = 0-2.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The non-aqueous organic solvent comprises gamma -butyrolactone in an amount of 5-20 vol.% or 5-20 wt.%.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The separator comprises polyethylene (preferred), polypropylene, aramid and/or polyimide. The gel polymer further comprises a repeating unit derived from second monomers of formulae (L-O-CH2-C(=CH2)-R), (L-O-C(=O)-C(=CH2)-R), (L-O-C(=O)-NH-(CH2)2-O-C(=O)-C(=CH2)-R), (L-C(=O)-O-(CH2)k-O-C(=O)-C(=CH2)-R), (R-C(=CH2)-C(=O)-O-(CH2)k-NH-C(=O)-O-(CH2)k-O-C(=O)-C(=CH2)-R), (L-O-C(=CH2)-R), (L-C(=O)-O-C(=CH2)-R) and/or (L-S(=O)2-C(CH2)-CH3). The gel polymer is formed by polymerizing the first and second monomers at weight ratio of 95:5-20:8.L = H, 1-20C-alkyl, 1-20C-halgenated alkyl, 6-30C-aryl and/or 1-30C-halgenated aryl; andk = 1-10. Preferred Definitions:    U1 = -(E-O-C(=O)-(CH2)n-C(=O)-O)-, -(G-O-C(=O)-(CH2)n-C(=O)-O)- or -(J-O-C(=O)-(CH2)n-C(=O)-O)-;    E, G, J = residual groups derived from ethyleneglycol, polyethyleneglycol, propyleneglycol, polypropyleneglycol, diethyleneglycol, alkanediol, ethoxylatedalkanediol, propoxylated alkanediol, trimethylolpropane, ethoxylated trimethylolpropane, propoxylated trimethylolpropane, ditrimethylolpropane, ethoxylated ditrimethylolpropane, propoxylated ditrimethylolpropane, pentaerythritol, ethoxylated pentaerythritol, propoxylated pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, ethoxylated dipentaerytluitol, propoxylated dipentaerythritol, bisphenol A, ethoxylated bisphenol A and/or propoxylated bisphenol A; and    n = 1-20.