A secondary battery includes a partition, a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a positive electrode electrolytic solution, a negative electrode electrolytic solution, and a negative electrode capacity restoring electrode, a positive electrode capacity restoring electrode, or both. The partition is disposed between a positive electrode space and a negative electrode space, and allows an alkali metal ion to pass therethrough. The positive electrode is disposed in the positive electrode space and is an electrode which the alkali metal ion is to be inserted into and extracted from. The negative electrode is disposed in the negative electrode space and is an electrode which the alkali metal ion is to be inserted into and extracted from. The positive electrode electrolytic solution is contained in the positive electrode space and includes an aqueous solvent and the alkali metal ion. The negative electrode electrolytic solution is contained in the negative electrode space and includes an aqueous solvent and the alkali metal ion. The negative electrode capacity restoring electrode is disposed in the positive electrode space. The positive electrode capacity restoring electrode is disposed in the negative electrode space. The negative electrode capacity restoring electrode includes a hydrogen-generating material, an oxygen-reducing material, or both. The positive electrode capacity restoring electrode includes an oxygen-generating material, a hydrogen-oxidizing material, or both.

Nickelate cathode materials are provided, wherein said cathode material has an X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern comprising a first peak from about 40.0-41.6 2Θ, and a second peak from about 62.6-63.0 2Θ. Methods of preparing such cathode materials are also provided. Alkaline electrochemical cells comprising said cathode materials are also provided.

Alkaline electrochemical cells are provided, wherein an organic additive is included in at least one component of the cell in order to increase electron discharge of the cathode, so as to improve the specific capacity of the cell. Methods for preparing such cells are also provided.

The invention provides a method of storing varying or intermittent electrical energy and one or more of hydrogen (H.sub.2) and oxygen (O.sub.2) with an energy apparatus, the method comprising: providing the first cell aqueous liquid, the second cell aqueous liquid, and electrical power from an external power source to the functional unit thereby providing an electrically charged functional battery unit and one or more of hydrogen (H.sub.2) and oxygen (O.sub.2) stored in said storage system, wherein during at least part of a charging time the functional unit is charged at a potential difference between the first cell electrode and the second cell electrode of more than 1.37 V.

An alkaline electrochemical cell has a central cathode having a corresponding cathode current collector electrically connected with a positive terminal of the electrochemical cell. The cathode current collector has a tubular shape, such as a cylindrical shape or rectangular shape, extending parallel with the length of the central cathode. The cathode current collector is embedded within the central cathode, such as at a medial point of a radius of the central cathode, thereby minimizing the distance between the cathode current collector and any portion of the central cathode, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the cathode and facilitating charge transfer to the cathode current collector.

A battery includes an air cathode, an anode, an aqueous electrolyte, and a housing, wherein, the housing includes one or more air access ports defining a total vent area, the battery exhibit a current density, a ratio of current density to total vent area is greater than about 100 mA/mm.sup.2, and the aqueous electrolyte comprises an amphoteric fluorosurfactant.

The alkaline battery of the present invention includes, as power generation components, a positive electrode containing silver oxide as a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode, a separator, and an alkaline electrolyte solution. At least one of the power generation components contains tellurium or a compound of tellurium. The total content of tellurium element contained in components housed in the battery is 0.4 parts by mass or more with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of silver element in the positive electrode active material. The positive electrode is substantially free of cadmium.

Provided is an aqueous battery configured to use hydroxide ions (OH.sup.−) as carrier ions. The aqueous battery is an aqueous battery comprising a cathode layer, an anode layer and an aqueous liquid electrolyte, wherein the cathode layer contains, as a cathode active material, a graphite having a rhombohedral crystal structure; wherein the anode layer contains, as an anode active material, at least one selected from the group consisting of an elemental Zn, an elemental Cd, an elemental Fe, a Zn alloy, a Cd alloy, an Fe alloy, ZnO, Cd(OH).sub.2, Fe(OH).sub.2 and a hydrogen storage alloy; and wherein, as an electrolyte, at least one selected from the group consisting of KOH and NaOH is dissolved in the aqueous liquid electrolyte.

A solid state high voltage battery includes a cathode; an anode; a catholyte solution in contact with the cathode; an anolyte solution in contact with the anode, and a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode. At least one of the catholyte or the anolyte is gelled, and at least one of the catholyte or the anolyte comprises an organic electrolyte, an ionic liquid electrolyte, or water in salt electrolyte.

A battery includes a housing, an electrolyte disposed in the housing, an anode disposed in the housing, and an electrode disposed in the housing and comprising an electrode material comprising manganese dioxide, and a conductive carbon coated with a metallic layer. The use of the conductive carbon coated with the metallic layer can help to control the effects of other ions such as zincate on the manganese dioxide during discharge or cycling of the battery.