Humic acid-mediated mechanism for efficient biodissolution of used lithium batteries.

Resource recovery of valuable metals from spent lithium batteries is an inevitable trend for sustainable development. In this study, external regulation was used to enhance the tolerance and stability of strains in the leaching of spent lithium batteries to radically improve the bioleaching efficiency. The leaching of Li, Ni, Co and Mn increased to 100 %, 85.06 %, 74.25 % and 69.44 % respectively after targeted cultivation with HA as compared to the undomesticated strain. In the process of microbial leaching of spent lithium batteries, the metabolites in the Ⅰ, Ⅳ, and Ⅴ regions of the metabolism of the undomesticated bacterial colony had a positive correlation to the dissolution of spent lithium batteries. The metabolites of Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅴ regions were directly affected by the HA domesticated flora on the dissolution of spent lithium batteries. The excess metabolism of protein substances can significantly promote the reduction of Ni, Co, Mn leaching, and at the same time in the role of a large number of humic substances complexed the toxic metal ions in the system, to ensure the activity of the bacterial colony. It can be seen that the bacteria were domesticated by humic acid, which promoted the bacteria's own metabolism, and the super-metabolised EPS promoted the solubilisation of spent lithium batteries.

Nanostructured Transition Metal Oxides on Carbon Fibers for Supercapacitor and Li-Ion Battery Electrodes: An Overview.

Nowadays, owing to the new technological and industrial requirements for equipment, such as flexibility or multifunctionally, the development of all-solid-state supercapacitors and Li-ion batteries has become a goal for researchers. For these purposes, the composite material approach has been widely proposed due to the promising features of woven carbon fiber as a substrate material for this type of material. Carbon fiber displays excellent mechanical properties, flexibility, and high electrical conductivity, allowing it to act as a substrate and a collector at the same time. However, carbon fiber's energy-storage capability is limited. Several coatings have been proposed for this, with nanostructured transition metal oxides being one of the most popular due to their high theoretical capacity and surface area. In this overview, the main techniques used to achieve these coatings-such as solvothermal synthesis, MOF-derived obtention, and electrochemical deposition-are summarized, as well as the main strategies for alleviating the low electrical conductivity of transition metal oxides, which is the main drawback of these materials.

The influence of chlorination additives on metal separation during the pyrometallurgical recovery of spent lithium-ion batteries.

The difficulty of separating Li during pyrometallurgical smelting of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has limited the development of pyrometallurgical processes. Chlorination enables the conversion of Li from spent LIBs to the gas phase during the smelting process. In this paper, the effects of four solid chlorinating agents (KCl, NaCl, CaCl2 and MgCl2) on Li volatilization and metal (Co, Cu, Ni and Fe) recovery were investigated. The four solid chlorinating agents were systematically compared in terms of the direct chlorination capacities, indirect chlorination capacities, alloy physical losses and chemical losses in the slag. CaCl2 was better suited for use as a solid chlorinating agent to promote Li volatilization due to its excellent results in these indexes. The temperature required for the release of HCl from MgCl2, facilitated by CO2 and SiO2, was lower than 500 °C. The prematurely released HCl failed to participate in the chlorination reaction. This resulted in approximately 12 % less Li volatilization when MgCl2 was used as a chlorinating agent compared to when CaCl2 was used. In addition, the use of KCl as a chlorinating agent decreased the chemical dissolution loss of alloys in the slag. The performance of NaCl was mediocre. Finally, based on evaluations of the four indexes, recommendations for the selection and optimization of solid chlorinating agents were provided.

A novel closed-loop biotechnology for recovery of cobalt from a lithium-ion battery active cathode material.

In recent years, the demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has been increasing rapidly. Conventional recycling strategies (based on pyro- and hydrometallurgy) are damaging for the environment and more sustainable methods need to be developed. Bioleaching is a promising environmentally friendly approach that uses microorganisms to solubilize metals. However, a bioleaching-based technology has not yet been applied to recover valuable metals from waste LIBs on an industrial scale. A series of experiments was performed to improve metal recovery rates from an active cathode material (LiCoO2; LCO). (i) Direct bioleaching of ≤0.5 % LCO with two prokaryotic acidophilic consortia achieved >80 % Co and 90 % Li extraction. Significantly lower metal recovery rates were obtained at 30 °C than at 45 °C. (ii) In contrast, during direct bioleaching of 3 % LCO with consortia adapted to elevated LCO levels, the 30 °C consortium performed significantly better than the 45 °C consortium, solubilizing 73 and 93 % of the Co and Li, respectively, during one-step bioleaching, and 83 and 99 % of the Co and Li, respectively, during a two-step process. (iii) The adapted 30°C consortium was used for indirect leaching in a low-waste closed-loop system (with 10 % LCO). The process involved generation of sulfuric acid in an acid-generating bioreactor (AGB), 2-3 week leaching of LCO with the biogenic acid (pH 0.9), selective precipitation of Co as hydroxide, and recirculation of the metal-free liquor back into the AGB. In total, 58.2 % Co and 100 % Li were solubilized in seven phases, and >99.9 % of the dissolved Co was recovered after each phase as a high-purity Co hydroxide. Additionally, Co nanoparticles were generated from the obtained Co-rich leachates, using Desulfovibrio alaskensis, and Co electrowinning was optimized as an alternative recovery technique, yielding high recovery rates (91.1 and 73.6% on carbon felt and roughened steel, respectively) from bioleachates that contained significantly lower Co concentrations than industrial hydrometallurgical liquors. The closed-loop system was highly dominated by the mixotrophic archaeon Ferroplasma and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria Acidithiobacillus caldus and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. The developed system achieved high metal recovery rates and provided high-purity solid products suitable for a battery supply chain, while minimizing waste production and the inhibitory effects of elevated concentrations of dissolved metals on the leaching prokaryotes. The system is suitable for scale-up applications and has the potential to be adapted to different battery chemistries.

Marine waste derived carbon materials for use as sulfur hosts for Lithium-Sulfur batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries as they can potentially offer significantly increased capacities and energy densities. The ever-increasing global battery market demonstrates that there will be an ongoing demand for cost effective battery electrode materials. Materials derived from waste products can simultaneously address two of the greatest challenges of today, i.e., waste management and the requirement to develop sustainable materials. In this study, we detail the carbonisation of gelatin from blue shark and chitin from prawns, both of which are currently considered as waste biproducts of the seafood industry. The chemical and physical properties of the resulting carbons are compared through a correlation of results from structural characterisation techniques, including electron imaging, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and nitrogen gas adsorption. We investigated the application of the resulting carbons as sulfur-hosting electrode materials for use in lithium-sulfur batteries. Through comprehensive electrochemical characterisation, we demonstrate that value added porous carbons, derived from marine waste are promising electrode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries. Both samples demonstrated impressive capacity retention when galvanostatically cycled at a rate of C/5 for 500 cycles. This study highlights the importance of looking towards waste products as sustainable feeds for battery material production.

Multi-perspective evaluation on spent lithium iron phosphate recycling process: For next-generation technology option.

The recycling of spent lithium iron phosphate batteries has recently become a focus topic. Consequently, evaluating different spent lithium iron phosphate recycling processes becomes necessary for industrial development. Here, based on multiple perspectives of environment, economy and technology, four typical spent lithium iron phosphate recovery processes (Hydro-A: hydrometallurgical total leaching recovery process; Hydro-B(H2O2/O2): hydrometallurgical selective lithium extraction process; Pyro: Pyrometallurgical recovery process; Direct: Direct regeneration process) were compared comprehensively. The comprehensive evaluation study uses environment, economy and technology as evaluation indicators, and uses the entropy weight method and analytic hierarchy process to couple the comprehensive indicator weights. Results show that the comprehensive evaluation values of Hydro-A, Hydro-B (H2O2), Hydro-B (O2), Pyro and Direct are 0.347, 0.421, 0.442, 0.099 and 0.857, respectively. Therefore, the technological maturity of Direct should be further improved to enable early industrialization. On this basis, this study conducted a quantitative evaluation of the spent lithium iron phosphate recycling process by comprehensively considering environmental, economic and technical factors, providing further guidance for the formulation of recycling processes.

Poly[poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate]-modified starch-based solid and gel polymer electrolytes for high performance Li-ion batteries.

The idea of replacing liquid electrolytes with polymer electrolytes has been successful and the development of these electrolytes has provided acceptable results. With the start of using natural polymers in the polymer industry, as well as starch, these materials can be one of the most important candidates for the polymer matrix in electrolytes. In this study, starch has been investigated as a polymer electrolyte, poly[poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate] (PEGMA) is grafted to the starch by radical polymerization, and synthesized copolymers are used as solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs). Furthermore, by adding N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a cross-linking agent, gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are produced after swelling in the liquid electrolyte. After characterization, the synthesized polymer electrolytes are investigated in terms of electrochemical properties. The best ionic conductivity of 3.8 × 10-5 S cm-1 is obtained for SPEs whereas it is obtained 4.3 × 10-3 S cm-1 for GPEs at room temperature. The ion transfer number in the range of 0.47-0.91 confirms the compatibility between the electrolytes and electrode. Also, the prepared polymer electrolytes present excellent electrochemical properties, including, a wide electrochemical stability window above 4.7 V, good specific capacities in the range of 170-200 mAh g-1 with a storage capacity of more than 92 %, and Coulombic efficiency of about 98 % after 100 cycles at 0.2 C.

Stepwise extraction of lithium and potassium and recovery of fluoride from aluminum electrolyte wastes through calcification roasting-two-stage leaching.

Aluminum electrolyte is a necessity for aluminum reduction cells; however, its stock is rising every year due to several factors, resulting in the accumulation of solid waste. Currently, it has become a favorable material for the resources of lithium, potassium, and fluoride. In this study, the calcification roasting-two-stage leaching process was introduced to extract lithium and potassium separately from aluminum electrolyte wastes, and the fluoride in the form of CaF2 was recycled. The separation behaviors of lithium and potassium under different conditions were investigated systematically. XRD and SEM-EDS were used to elucidate the phase evolution of the whole process. During calcification roasting-water leaching, the extraction efficiency of potassium was 98.7% under the most suitable roasting parameters, at which the lithium extraction efficiency was 6.6%. The mechanism analysis indicates that CaO combines with fluoride to form CaF2, while Li-containing and K-containing fluorides were transformed into water-insoluble LiAlO2 phase and water-soluble KAlO2 phase, respectively, thereby achieving the separation of two elements by water leaching. In the second acid-leaching stage, the extraction efficiency of lithium was 98.8% from water-leached residue under the most suitable leaching conditions, and CaF2 was obtained with a purity of 98.1%. The present process can provide an environmentally friendly and promising method to recycle aluminum electrolyte wastes and achieve resource utilization.

Eco-Friendly Lithium Separators: A Frontier Exploration of Cellulose-Based Materials.

Lithium-ion batteries, as an excellent energy storage solution, require continuous innovation in component design to enhance safety and performance. In this review, we delve into the field of eco-friendly lithium-ion battery separators, focusing on the potential of cellulose-based materials as sustainable alternatives to traditional polyolefin separators. Our analysis shows that cellulose materials, with their inherent degradability and renewability, can provide exceptional thermal stability, electrolyte absorption capability, and economic feasibility. We systematically classify and analyze the latest advancements in cellulose-based battery separators, highlighting the critical role of their superior hydrophilicity and mechanical strength in improving ion transport efficiency and reducing internal short circuits. The novelty of this review lies in the comprehensive evaluation of synthesis methods and cost-effectiveness of cellulose-based separators, addressing significant knowledge gaps in the existing literature. We explore production processes and their scalability in detail, and propose innovative modification strategies such as chemical functionalization and nanocomposite integration to significantly enhance separator performance metrics. Our forward-looking discussion predicts the development trajectory of cellulose-based separators, identifying key areas for future research to overcome current challenges and accelerate the commercialization of these green technologies. Looking ahead, cellulose-based separators not only have the potential to meet but also to exceed the benchmarks set by traditional materials, providing compelling solutions for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries.

Cyclic Ion Mobility of Isomeric New Psychoactive Substances Employing Characteristic Arrival Time Distribution Profiles and Adduct Separation.

Analysis of new psychoactive substances (NPS), which is essential for toxicological and forensic reasons, can be made complicated by the presence of isomers. Ion mobility has been used as a standalone technique or coupled to mass spectrometry to detect and identify NPS. However, isomer separation has so far chiefly relied on chromatography. Here we report on the determination of isomeric ratios using cyclic ion mobility-mass spectrometry without any chromatographic separation. Isomers were distinguished by mobility separation of lithium adducts. Alternatively, we used arrival time distribution (ATD) profiles that were characteristic of individual isomers and were acquired for protonated molecules or fragment ions. Both approaches provided comparable results. Calculations were used to determine the structures and collision cross sections of both protonated and lithiated isomers that accurately characterized their ion mobility properties. The applicability of ATD profiles to isomer differentiation was demonstrated using direct infusion and flow injection analysis with electrospray of solutions, as well as desorption electrospray of solid samples. Data processing was performed by applying multiple linear regression to the ATD profiles. Using the proposed ATD profile-based approach, the relationships between the determined and given content of isomers showed good linearity with coefficients of determination typically greater than 0.99. Flow injection analysis using an autosampler allowed us to rapidly determine isomeric ratios in a sample containing two isomeric pairs with a minor isomer of 10% (determined 9.3% of 3-MMC and 11.0% of 3-FMC in a mixture with buphedrone and 4-FMC). The proposed approach is not only useful for NPS, but also may be applicable to small isomeric molecules analyzed by ion mobility when complete separation of isomers is not achieved.

Conversion and fate of waste Li-ion battery electrolyte in a two-stage thermal treatment process.

Disposal of electrolytes from waste lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has gained much more attention with the growing application of LIBs, yet handling spent electrolyte is challengeable due to its high toxicity and the lack of established methods. In this study, a novel two-stage thermal process was developed for treating residual electrolytes resulted from spent lithium-ion batteries. The conversion of fluorophosphate and organic matter in oily electrolyte during low-temperature rotation distillation was investigated. The distribution and migration of the concentrated electrolytes were studied and the corresponding reaction mechanisms were elucidated. Additionally, the influence of alkali on the fixation of fluorine and phosphate was further examined. The results indicated that hydrolyzed carbonate esters and lithium in the electrolyte could combine to form Li2CO3 and the hydrolysable hexafluorophosphate was proven to be stable in the concentrated electrolyte (45 rpm/85 °C, 30 min). It was found that CO2, CO, CH4, and H2 were the primary pyrolysis gases, while the pyrolysis oil consisted of extremely flammable substances formed by the dissociation and recombination of chemical bonds in the electrolyte solvent. After pyrolysis at 300 °C, fluorine and phosphate were present in the form of sodium fluoride and sodium phosphate. The stability of the residue was enhanced, and the environmental risk was reduced. By adding alkali (KOH/Ca(OH)2, 20 %), hexafluorophosphate in the electrolyte was transformed into fluoride and phosphate in the residue, thereby reducing the device's corrosion from fluorine-containing gas. This study provides a viable approach for managing the residual electrolyte in the waste lithium battery recovery process.

Improved recovery of lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries by reduction roasting and NaHCO3 leaching.

Lithium supply risk is increasing and driving rapid progress in lithium recovery schemes from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In this study, a facile recycling process consisting mainly of reduction roasting and NaHCO3 leaching was adopted to improve lithium recovery. The Li of spent LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 powder were converted to Li2CO3 and LiAlO2 with the reduction effect of C and residual Al in the roasting process. NaHCO3 leaching was utilized to selectively dissolve lithium from Li2CO3 and water-insoluble LiAlO2. The activation energy of NaHCO3 leaching was 9.31 kJ∙mol-1 and the leaching of lithium was a diffusion control reaction. More than 95.19 % lithium was leached and recovered as a Li2CO3 product with a purity of 99.80 %. Thus, this approach provides a green path to selective recovery of lithium with good economics.

Pre-separation combined with reduction roasting for high-quality recovery of graphite and lithium from spent lithium ion batteries.

The recycling of spent lithium ion batteries is of great significance because it contains large amounts of valuable metals. But current recovery methods exhibit limited efficiency in selectively extracting lithium from spent electrode materials and spent graphite becomes metallurgical residues. In this study, we propose a novel recycling flowchart that combines flotation with multi-stage water-leaching to enhance the recovery of graphite and lithium from black mass derived from spent lithium ion batteries. Removal of organics can be conducted by pyrolysis, at the same time, the spent ternary cathode material was decomposed into CoO, NiO, and MnO at a temperature of 600 °C for 60 min using pyrolysis product-derived reductant. The sub-microlevel migration behavior of lithium ions in electrode materials was also examined. The electrode material aggregates were broken up by water crushing, and 38.67 % lithium dissolves into water for recycling. Bubble flotation was used to recycle the excess graphite from the black mass while the residual graphite was used as reductant for the carbothermal reduction. Using the developed scheme, we were able to recover 95.51 % of lithium after carbothermal reduction with 12.31 % carbon residue. Based on basic research, a novel recycling flowchart of spent lithium-ion batteries has been proposed.

Materials recovery from NMC batteries with water as the sole solvent.

We report an environmentally benign recycling approach for large-capacity nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries through the electrochemical concentration of lithium on the anode and subsequent recovery with only water. Cycling of the NMC pouch cells indicated the potential for maximum lithium recovery at a 5C charging rate. The anodes extracted from discharged and disassembled cells were submerged in deionized water, resulting in lithium dissolution and graphite recovery from the copper foils. A maximum of 13 mg of lithium salts per 100 mg of the anode, copper current collector, and separator was obtained from NMC pouch cell cycled at a 4C charging rate. The lithium salts extracted from batteries cycled at low C-rates were richer in lithium carbonate, while the salts from batteries cycled at high C-rates were richer in lithium oxides and peroxides, as determined by X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The present method can be successfully used to recover all the pouch cell components: lithium, graphite, copper, and aluminum current collectors, separator, and the cathode active material.

A greener method to recover critical metals from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs): Synergistic leaching without reducing agents.

Efficient recycling of critical metals from spent lithium-ion batteries is vital for clean energy and sustainable industry growth. Conventional methods often fail to manage large waste volumes, leading to hazardous gas emissions and dangerous materials. This study investigates innovative methods for recovering critical metals from spent LIBs using synergistic leaching. The first step optimized thermal treatment conditions (570 °C for 2 h in air) to remove binder materials while maintaining cathode material crystallinity, confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Next, response surface methodology (RSM), I-optimal, was used to examine the synergistic effects of sulfuric acid (SA) and organic acids (Org, citric and acetic acids) and their concentrations (SA: 0.5-2 M and Org: 0.1-2 M) on metal leaching for an eco-friendlier process. Results showed that adding citric acid to SA was more effective, especially at lower concentrations, than using acetic acid. The medium was tested to evaluate the impact of reductant addition. Remarkably, it was discovered that the optimized leaching mixture (1.25 M SA and 0.55 M citric acid) efficiently extracted metals without the need for any reductant like H2O2, highlighting its potential for a simpler and more eco-friendly recycling process. Further optimization identified the ideal solid-to-liquid ratio (62.5 g/L) to minimize acid use. Finally, RSM (D-optimal) was used to investigate the effects of time and temperature on leaching, achieving remarkable recovery rates of 99% ± 0.7 for Li, 98% ± 0.0 for Co, 90% ± 6.6 for Ni, and 92% ± 0.4 for Mn under optimized conditions at 189 min and 95 °C. Chemical cost analysis revealed this method is about 25% more cost-effective than conventional methods.

Cleaner separation and recovery of valuable metals from spent ternary cathode via carbon dioxide synergetic thermite reduction strategy.

The low-carbon recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries has become crucial due to the increasing need to address resource shortages and environmental concerns. Herein, a low-carbon, facile, and efficient method was developed to separate and recover Li, Al, and transition metals from spent ternary cathodes. Initially, the cathode materials post-discharge and disassembly do not require pre-sorting. Instead of using carbonaceous materials, the Al foil in the cathode serves as the reducing agent during reduction roasting. The impact of different roasting atmospheres (air, N2, CO2) on phase transitions and the extraction of valuable metals was examined. The findings revealed that after synergistic thermite reduction in a carbon dioxide atmosphere, the cathode material is completely dissociated. Li is selectively converted to Li2CO3 rather than LiAlO2, and the reduced reactivity of the Al foil encourages the formation of lower-valence oxides of Ni and Co, rather than their metallic forms. Under optimal roasting conditions at 650 °C for 1.0 h, 91.4% of Li can be preferentially and selectively extracted through carbonation water leaching, with less than 0.1% of Al and transition metals dissolving. Subsequently, ∼98% of Al and ∼99% of Ni, Co, and Mn can be leached using alkaline and acidic solutions, respectively. Compared to the traditional carbon thermal reduction process, this process offers several advantages including the elimination of pre-sorting and additional reducing agents, lower carbon emissions, and higher recovery rates of valuable metals. Thus, this process makes the recovery of metals from spent lithium-ion batteries more environmentally sustainable, simple, cost-effective, and adaptable.

Lithium inelastic cross-sections and their impact on micro and nano dosimetry of boron neutron capture.

Objective.To present a new set of lithium-ion cross-sections for (i) ionization and excitation processes down to 700 eV, and (ii) charge-exchange processes down to 1 keV u-1. To evaluate the impact of the use of these cross-sections on micro a nano dosimetric quantities in the context of boron neutron capture (BNC) applications/techniques.Approach.The Classical Trajectory Monte Carlo method was used to calculate Li ion charge-exchange cross sections in the energy range of 1 keV u-1to 10 MeV u-1. Partial Li ion charge states ionization and excitation cross-sections were calculated using a detailed charge screening factor. The cross-sections were implemented in Geant4-DNA v10.07 and simulations and verified using TOPAS-nBio by calculating stopping power and continuous slowing down approximation (CSDA) range against data from ICRU and SRIM. Further microdosimetric and nanodosimetric calculations were performed to quantify differences against other simulation approaches for low energy Li ions. These calculations were: lineal energy spectra (yf(y) andyd(y)), frequency mean lineal energyyF-, dose mean lineal energyyD-and ionization cluster size distribution analysis. Microdosimetric calculations were compared against a previous MC study that neglected charge-exchange and excitation processes. Nanodosimetric results were compared against pure ionization scaled cross-sections calculations.Main results.Calculated stopping power differences between ICRU and Geant4-DNA decreased from 33.78% to 6.9%. The CSDA range difference decreased from 621% to 34% when compared against SRIM calculations. Geant4-DNA/TOPAS calculated dose mean lineal energy differed by 128% from the previous Monte Carlo. Ionization cluster size frequency distributions for Li ions differed by 76%-344.11% for 21 keV and 2 MeV respectively. With a decrease in theN1within 9% at 10 keV and agreeing after the 100 keV. With the new set of cross-sections being able to better simulate low energy behaviors of Li ions.Significance.This work shows an increase in detail gained from the use of a more complete set of low energy cross-sections which include charge exchange processes. Significant differences to previous simulation results were found at the microdosimetric and nanodosimetric scales that suggest that Li ions cause less ionizations per path length traveled but with more energy deposits. Microdosimetry results suggest that the BNC's contribution to cellular death may be mainly due to alpha particle production when boron-based drugs are distributed in the cellular membrane and beyond and by Li when it is at the cell cytoplasm regions.

Halloysite nanotubes enhanced polyimide/oxidized-lignin nanofiber separators for long-cycling lithium metal batteries.

The high energy density and robust cycle properties of lithium-ion batteries contribute to their extensive range of applications. Polyolefin separators are often used for the purpose of storing electrolytes, hence ensuring the efficient internal ion transport. Nevertheless, the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries is constrained by its limited interaction with electrolytes and poor capacity for cation transport. This work presents the preparation of a new bio-based nanofiber separator by combining oxidized lignin (OL) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) with polyimide (PI) using an electrospinning technique. Analysis was conducted to examine and compare the structure, morphology, thermal characteristics, and EIS of the separator with those of commercially available polypropylene separator (PP). The results indicate that the PI@OL and PI-OL@ 10 % HNTs separators exhibit higher lithium ion transference number and ionic conductivity. Moreover, the use of HNTs successfully impeded the proliferation of lithium dendrites, hence exerting a beneficial impact on both the cycle performance and multiplier performance of the battery. Consequently, after undergoing 300 iterations, the battery capacity of LiFePO4|PI-OL@ 10 % HNTs|Li stays at 92.1 %, surpassing that of PP (86.8 %) and PI@OL (89.6 %). These findings indicate that this new bio-based battery separator (PI-OL@HNTs) has the great potential to serve as a substitute for the commonly used PP separator in lithium metal batteries.

Carboxymethyl chitosan composited poly(ethylene oxide) electrolyte with high ion conductivity and interfacial stability for lithium metal batteries.

Low ionic conductivity and poor interface stability of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) restrict the practical application as polymeric electrolyte films to prepare solid-state lithium (Li) metal batteries. In this work, biomass-based carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) is designed and developed as organic fillers into PEO matrix to form composite electrolytes (PEO@CMCS). Carboxymethyl groups of CMCS fillers can promote the decomposition of Lithium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonimide) (LiTFSI) to generate more lithium fluoride (LiF) at CMCS/PEO interface, which not only forms ionic conductive network to promote the rapid transfer of Li+ but also effectively enhances the interface stability between polymeric electrolyte and Li metal. The enrichment of carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amidogen functional groups within CMCS fillers can form hydrogen bonds with ethylene oxide (EO) chains to improve the tensile properties of PEO-based electrolyte. In addition, the high hardness of CMCS additives can also strengthen mechanical properties of PEO-based electrolyte to resist penetration of Li dendrites. LiLi symmetric batteries can achieve stable cycle for 2500 h and lithium iron phosphate full batteries can maintain 135.5 mAh g-1 after 400 cycles. This work provides a strategy for the enhancement of ion conductivity and interface stability of PEO-based electrolyte, as well as realizes the resource utilization of biomass-based CMCS.

Computational evaluation of novel XCuH3 (X = Li, Na and K) perovskite-type hydrides for hydrogen storage applications using LDA and GGA approach.

Hydrogen energy has attracted a lot of interest from researchers as a sustainable and renewable energy source, but there are some technical challenges related to its storage. Hydride materials demonstrate the ability to store hydrogen adequately and safely. In the current study, we have investigated the structural and optoelectronic properties of the XCuH3 (where X = Li, Na and K) perovskite-type hydride using LDA and GGA formalisms for hydrogen storage application. Electronic properties such as band structure, density of states reveal the metallic character of the studied XCuH3 hydrides. Various optical parameters such as the complex dielectric function, refractive index, extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient, reflectivity, optical conductivity, energy loss function, and joint density of states have been computed and compared. The gravimetric hydrogen storage capacity for LiCuH3, NaCuH3 and KCuH3 are found to be 4.11, 3.37 and 2.86 wt%, respectively. The computed values of the gravimetric ratio manifest that XCuH3 hydrides are potential candidates for hydrogen storage applications. These calculations are made for the first time for XCuH3 hydrides and will be inspirational in the future for comparison and for hydrogen storage purposes.