Electrochemical Approach for Lithium Recovery from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries: Opportunities and Challenges

Along with the increasing demand for portable electronics and electrical vehicles, the rapid proliferation of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is consuming the primary lithium source fast and generates a huge amount of spent LIBs. Lithium recycling from spent lithium-ion batteries becomes imperative to reduce the load on valuable natural resources and address the concern for the environment. Electrochemical methods have been explored as efficient technologies for lithium extraction from natural resources like brine/seawater and hence started to draw researchers’ attention as potential technologies for the efficient and sustainable recycling of lithium from spent LIBs. This Perspective provides valuable insights into the state-of-the-art electrochemical technologies applied for lithium recycling from spent LIBs, discusses the underlying principles, advantages, and limitations, and evaluates their practicability, economic viability, and scalability. The challenges and opportunities of electrochemical methods in the field of lithium recycling from spent LIBs are presented and evaluated, from the perspectives of selectivity, energy consumption, and the integration of recycling processes into existing battery manufacturing ecosystems, to envision a sustainable and circular approach to lithium utilization.