New applications such as hybrid electric vehicles and power backup require rechargeable batteries to combine high energy density with high charge and discharge rate capability. In this study, the core-shell Ni(OH)(2)@CoOOH composite is constructed via a simple cation-exchange route at moderate conditions. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) are used to characterize the resulting Ni(OH)(2)@CoOOH composites. The Ni(OH)(2)@CoOOH electrode exhibits high power, higher capacity and longer life cycle when it is chosen as an positive electrode material for rechargeable alkaline MH-Ni battery. The enhanced electrochemical performance is attributed to the seamless combination of the CoOOH shell and the Ni(OH)(2) core, avoiding the contact resistance between them at a large current density. It is believed that our methodology provides a simple and environment friendly route to a variety of core-shell materials with different composition and novel function. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.