An overview on the life cycle of lithium iron phosphate: synthesis, modification, application, and recycling

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4, LFP), as an outstanding energy storage material, plays a crucial role in human society. Its excellent safety, low cost, low toxicity, and reduced dependence on nickel and cobalt have garnered widespread attention, research, and applications. Consequently, it has become a highly competitive, essential, and promising material, driving the advancement of human civilization and scientific technology. The lifecycle and primary research areas of lithium iron phosphate encompass various stages, including synthesis, modification, application, retirement, and recycling. Each of these stages is indispensable and relatively independent, holding significant importance for sustainable development. However, these stages are also closely interconnected, with many similarities in principles and technologies. For example, synthesis and modification are often completed simultaneously, modification and repair serve similar purposes, and the liquid-based synthesis of lithium iron phosphate and its leaching process are essentially reverse processes. The existence of these connections offers the possibility of interdisciplinary cross-fertilization between different stages of research. Therefore, their seamless integration is crucial for sustainable development. This paper provides a comprehensive and holistic perspective. It combines the physical and chemical properties of lithium iron phosphate with its working principles to systematically discuss the current state of research in different stages and their inherent connections. It also explores and evaluates the application prospects of research methods based on their strengths and weaknesses.