Abstract The electrochemical behavior of the metal oxides MoO 3 , MnO 2 , Cr 2 O 5 , V 2 O 5 , and Na0.33V2O5 used as cathode materials in primary lithium batteries containing a LiClO 4 ·3.5 NH 3 electrolyte is found to be comparable with the electrochemical behavior observed in organic electrolytes.