An aqueous rechargeable battery system is assembled by using metallic zinc and Na(0.95)MnO2 as the negative and positive electrodes, respectively. It is cheap and environmentally friendly, and its energy density is 78 Wh kg(-1). Its cycling performance is very good with only 8% capacity loss after 1000 cycles at 4 C between 1 and 2 V.

A nanocomposite of molybdenum trioxide (a-MoO 3 ) nanobelts coated with polypyrrole has been fabricated by a simple in situ polymerization route. The structure, morphology and electrochemical performance of the nanocomposite were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical measurements. It was found that the polypyrrole acted as a conducting matrix and a coating agent, which effectively improves the conductivity of the MoO 3 nanobelts and inhibits the dissolution of molybdenum ions during cycling. The supercapacitor based on the PPy@MoO 3 nanocomposite as the anode, activated carbon as the cathode and 0.5 M K 2 SO 4 aqueous solution as the electrolyte exhibits better rate capability as well as excellent cycling performance compared to the virginal MoO 3 .

Developing rechargeable batteries with low cost is critically needed for the application in large-scale stationary energy storage systems. Here, an aqueous rechargeable zinc//aluminum ion battery is reported on the basis of zinc as the negative electrode and ultrathin graphite nanosheets as the positive electrode in an aqueous Al2(SO4)3/Zn(CHCOO)2 electrolyte. The positive electrode material was prepared through a simple electrochemically expanded method in aqueous solution. The cost for the aqueous electrolyte together with the Zn negative electrode is low, and their raw materials are abundant. The average working voltage of this aqueous rechargeable battery is 1.0 V, which is higher than those of most rechargeable Al ion batteries in an ionic liquid electrolyte. It could also be rapidly charged within 2 min while maintaining a high capacity. Moreover, its cycling behavior is also very good, with capacity retention of nearly 94% after 200 cycles.

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