A new electrolyte based on fluorinated solvents was studied in a high voltage Li-ion cell using graphite as the anode and 5 V spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 as the cathode. The electrolyte shows significantly enhanced voltage stability compared with the conventional electrolytes at elevated temperature (55 ¡ãC). Post-test study of the harvested cathode using FT-IR and SEM indicated that the buildup of organic decomposition product on the cathode surface is negligible for the fluorinated electrolyte.