Photovoltaic-driven dual-oxidation seawater electrolyzer for sustainable lithium recovery
Xiaosong Gu, Xuezhen Feng, Songhe Yang, Ranhao Wang, Qiang Zeng, Yangzi Shangguan, Jiaxin Liang, Huiling Zhou, Zhiwei Li, Zhang Lin, Chunmiao Zheng, Zhenghe Xu, Hong Chen
Abstract
The insatiable demand for lithium in portable energy storage necessitates a sustainable and low-carbon approach to its recovery. Conventional hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical methods heavily involve hazardous chemicals and significant CO 2 emissions. Herein, by integrating electrode oxidation with electrolyte oxidation, we establish a photovoltaic-driven “dual-oxidation” seawater electrolyzer system for low-carbon footprint and high lithium recovery. A 98.96% lithium leaching rate with 99.60% product purity was demonstrated for lithium recovery from spent LiFePO 4 cathode materials. In-depth mechanism studies reveal that the electric field-driven electrode oxidation and in situ generated oxidative electrolyte synergetically contributes to lithium ions leaching via a structural framework elements oxidation and particle corrosion splitting synergy. This dual-oxidation mechanism facilitates rapid and efficient lithium extraction with broad universality, offering significant economic and environmental benefits. Our work showcases a promising strategy for integrating dual oxidation within a photovoltaic-driven seawater electrolyzer, paving the way for low-carbon lithium recovery from diverse solid wastes and minerals within a sustainable circular economy.