In the present study, K2S and Bi2S3 were used as additives in electrolytes and electrodes, respectively. The effects of these additives on the electrochemical properties of nano-sized Fe2O3-loaded carbon electrodes were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic cycling performance and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), along with electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that both KS and Bi2S3 significantly reduced hydrogen evolution and benefited the Fe2O3-loaded carbon electrode, such as by retarding passivation and improving the discharge capacity. The effects of metal sulfide additives depended on the carbon used. For Bi2S3 additive, all carbons provided larger capacities than acetylene black (AB) while AB gave greater capacity than other carbons when K2S was used. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.