An innovative rechargeable battery invented by a Waterloo nanotechnology researcher could create a greener future by storing power from a smart grid or driving the next generation of electric cars.

Zhongwei Chen, an associate professor of chemical engineering, says the zinc-air rechargeable battery, which could be on the market within a year, may one day be used to store energy generated by solar collectors and wind turbines.

The battery was made possible with a unique nanomaterial that acts…