Recycling Spent Lithium Iron Phosphate via Contact‐Electro‐Catalysis

Abstract Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries occupy 47% of the LIB market share in terms of superior safety and low cost. However, current recycling methods suffer from high budgets, impurities, and low efficiency. Here, a catalytic pathway is proposed to recycle spent LFP batteries via contact‐electro‐catalysis to replace chemical agents in a direct oxidation strategy. Although charge transfer steps are still rate‐determining steps, this work reveals that contact‐electro‐catalysis facilitates the charge transfer steps from water to catalysts in water oxidation reaction and catalysts to oxygen in oxygen reduction reaction by suppressing the energy gap and re‐distributing electronic charge. Therefore, the enthalpy change of the hydrogen peroxide generation reaction decreases from 407 to 288 kJ mol −1 . By putting forward improved solutions, including input power, catalysts with strong electron‐withdrawing functional groups, etc., the generation rate of hydrogen peroxide increases from 0.0025 mmol L −1 g −1 h −1 to a record high of 164 mmol L −1 g −1 h −1 . Accordingly, the oxidation of the reaction surges dramatically, and the recycling of LFP is achieved within 8 min at 50 °C with efficiencies of 99.8% (Li) and 99.97% (Fe), respectively. This work exhibits a prototype with ecological and economic importance for renovating LFP powders.