TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The alkane solvent is chosen from n-heptane, heptane, hexane, and 6-10C hydrocarbon solvents. The lithium-containing reagent is chosen from lithium metal, alkyl lithium reagents, and lithium salts. The micrometer-sized or nanometer-sized silicon-containing materials are derived from metallurgical grade silicon, or crystalline silicon or polycrystalline silicon with a purity of metallurgical grade silicon, preferably silicon wafers or ingots. The surface-modifying agent is chosen from benzene, mesitylene, xylene, 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene, 2,3-dihydroxyanthracene, 9,10-phenanthrenequinone, 2,3-dihydroxytetracene, fluorine-substituted 2,3-dihydroxytetracene, trifluoromethyl-substituted 2,3-dihydroxytetracene, 2,3-dihydroxypentacene, fluorine-substituted 2,3-dihydroxypentacene, trifluoromethyl-substituted 2,3-dihydroxypentacene, fluorine-substituted pentacene, trifluoromethyl-substituted pentacene, naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, triphenylene, perylene, pyrene, chrysene, azulene, pentacene, polythiophene, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), poly(3-hexylthiophene), polyvinylidene fluoride, polyacrylonitrile, polyaniline crosslinked with phytic acid, single wall carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, 60C fullerene, 70C fullerene, nanospherical carbon, graphene, carbon black, soot, and/or carbonized conductive carbon. The outer surface of the surface-modified nanoparticles is free of silicon oxide and other dielectric species. The core material of the surface-modified nanoparticles further comprises elements used for p-type semiconductor doping chosen from boron, aluminum, and gallium, elements used for n-type semiconductor doping chosen from nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony, elements found in metallurgical silicon chosen from aluminum, calcium, titanium, iron, and copper, and/or conductive metals chosen from aluminum, nickel, iron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, silver, and gold. The nanoparticles have core material comprising silicon, silicon/tin alloy, silicon/germanium alloy, silicon/tin/nickel alloy, and/or silicon/titanium/nickel alloy, and outer surface modified with benzene, p-xylene, mesitylene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene, perylene, azulene, chrysene, triphenylene, 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene, 2,3-dihydroxyanthracene, 9,10-phenanthrenequinone, 2,3-dihydroxytetracene, fluorine- or trifluoromethyl-substituted 2,3-dihydroxytetracene, 2,3-dihydroxypentacene, pentacene, fluorine- or trifluoromethyl-substituted pentacene, 60C fullerene and/or 70C fullerene, graphene, single-wall carbon nanotubes, multi-wall carbon nanotubes, and/or styrene. The electrode film further comprises lithium reagent of formula: Li-H3NB12H11-, Li-H3NB12F11-, 1,2-(H3N)2B12H10, 1,7-(H3N)2B12H10, 1,12-(H3N)2B12H10, 1,2-(H3N)2B12F10, 1,7-(H3N)2B12F10, and 1,12-(H3N)2B12F10, and/or LiAl(ORf1)4.Rf1=fluorinated-alkyl or fluorinated-aryl (which are not perfluorinated).Preferred Process: The method further involves comminuting silicon-containing materials in presence of solvent (d) chosen from diglyme and/or triglyme, which prevents or reduces sedimentation, and solid electrolyte interface-forming reagent chosen from ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, methyl-ethyl carbonate, acetonitrile, dimethoxyethane, oligo- and poly-ethylene glycols with or without methyl or ethyl end groups and/or oxymethylene groups incorporated in the chain, lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium bis(oxalato)borate, lithium fluoride, lithium oxide, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate, lithium bis-trifluoromethanesulfonimide, and lithium perchlorate. The micrometer-sized or nanometer-sized silicon-containing materials are treated with protic acid to provide hydrogen-passivated micrometer-sized or nanometer-sized silicon-containing materials.