In this work, with a zeolite-type metal-organic framework as both a precursor and a template and furfuryl alcohol as a second precursor, nanoporous carbon material has been prepared with an unexpectedly high surface area (3405 m(2)/g, BET method) and considerable hydrogen storage capacity (2.77 wt % at 77 K and 1 atm) as well as good electrochemical properties as an electrode material for electric double layer capacitors. The pore structure and surface area of the resultant carbon materials can be tuned simply by changing the calcination temperature.

Some basic but important guidelines for the development of sheet-type all-solid-state batteries using a practical slurry coating process are described in this paper. Li 3 PS 4 glass powder that had been passed through a 25 μm sieve was prepared. Positive and negative electrode sheets with capacities of more than 1.5 mAh cm −2 were developed. An all-solid-state full cell was constructed using the electrode sheets and the self-standing solid electrolyte sheets. The energy density of the cell was ca. 155 Wh kg −1 , where the weight of the current collectors and the exterior package was excluded from the weight for calculation.

Using sodium, instead of lithium, in rechargeable batteries is a way to circumvent the lithium's resource problem. The challenge is to find an electrode material that can reversibly undergo redox reactions in a sodium-electrolyte at the desired electrochemical potential. We proved that indigo carmine (IC, 5,5′-indigodisulfonic acid sodium salt) can work as a positive-electrode material in not only a lithium-, but also a sodium-electrolyte. The discharge capacity of the IC-electrode was ~100 mAh g−1 with a good cycle stability in either the Na or Li electrolyte, in which the average voltage was 1.8 V vs. Na+/Na and 2.2 V vs. Li+/Li, respectively. Two Na ions per IC are stored in the electrode during the discharge, testifying to the two-electron redox reaction. An X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a layer structure for the IC powder and the DFT calculation suggested the formation of a band-like structure in the crystal.

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