Electro-oxidation: A win–win strategy for the selective recovery of Li+ from spent lithium-ion batteries and the preparation of highly active catalysts

This study aimed to further expand the scope of use of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and improve their value. We proposed a dual-function electro-oxidation strategy that can realize the highly selective recovery of Li+ from spent NCM batteries and the in situ modification of delithiation materials. Under the optimum conditions, the selective recovery rate of Li+ exceeded 99%. After electro-oxidation, the electrolyte can be directly heated and concentrated to obtain Li2CO3. Moreover, the large number of oxygen vacancies and metal vacancies produced by electro-oxidation, as well as the changes in structure and morphology, enabled the delithiation material to exhibit excellent catalytic performance. Within 30 min, the degradation rate of sulfamethoxazole reached 100%. This strategy can be used to recycle and reuse spent LIBs and thus achieve the goal of “turning waste into treasure”.