The global demand for lithium, driven by its essential role in the battery industry and other advanced energy applications, promotes innovative approaches to harvest this valuable metal from brine resources more sustainably and effectively. The forefront of these advances is lithium-ion proteins (LISS), which show extraordinary ability to selectively restore lithium from complex aqueous environments containing a variety of coexisting ions.
A groundbreaking study led by Dr Zhijie Chen and Professor Bing-Jie Ni from the University of New South Wales provides a comprehensive review of the current status and future prospects of LIS technology. Their findings, recently published in the journal Sustainable Horizon, delve into the potential of hybrid stimulants to revolutionize the lithium recovery process, which not only makes them more effective, but are also environmentally friendly.
“The demand for lithium is increasing from electronics to electric vehicles, which requires a shift to a more sustainable and economically viable recovery approach,” said Dr Zhijie Chen. He stressed the superiority of LIS because of their high selectivity and lithium absorption capacity, important features, thereby significantly improving the purity and yield of lithium extracted from brine.
This study reviews two main categories of LISS – lithium manganese oxide (LMO) and lithium titanium oxide (LTO). Each type brings unique advantages and challenges to lithium recovery. LMO is praised for its high lithium affinity and excellent adsorption capacity. However, they face problems such as manganese dissolution, which can reduce its efficacy and bring environmental risks. On the other hand, LTO is known for its structural stability and prevents titanium from dissolving, but its application is limited by particle aggregation during synthesis.
To address these challenges, the researchers turned to heterogeneous doping, an innovative approach that could improve LIS performance. By integrating different heteroatoms into the LIS structure, they can improve the stability, durability and lithium recovery efficiency of the material. Professor Bing-jie Ni explained: “Heteroatom doping not only helps stabilize the ion-dimensional structure, but also enhances its selectivity and recyclability, which is crucial for practical applications.”
The application of advanced LIS in lithium recycling is particularly promising to process brine in salt lakes, which are rich in salt water but insufficient resources due to the presence of interfering ions (such as magnesium and calcium). The exquisite LIS effectively overcomes these disturbances, paving the way for their application in different environments ranging from geothermal saline to industrial wastewater.
The implications of this study go beyond technological advancements. By increasing the efficiency and environmental sustainability of lithium recovery, these innovations can greatly reduce the ecological footprint of lithium mining and processing, thus helping global efforts to combat climate change and resource consumption.
The development and implementation of such advanced technologies in lithium recovery will be crucial as the world leans more towards renewable energy and sustainable practices. Continuing research by Professor Bing-Jie Ni Dr. Zhijie Chen and colleagues not only highlights the potential of lithium ion competition that can meet the world’s growing demand for lithium, but also sets the benchmark for future research aimed at further improving these technologies.
Journal Reference
Qian Chen, Zhijie Chen, Hongqiang Li, Bing-jie Ni, Advanced Lithium Ion-Sieves Sustainable Lithium Recovery from Brine, Sustainable Lithium, Sustainable Horizon, 2024, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.1016/j.horiz.horiz.2024.100093333
About the Author
Dr. Zhijie Chen He received his PhD in 2022, a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering from the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. He is now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. His research focuses on the development of green technologies to achieve environmental and energy sustainability. He has authored 100 peer-reviewed papers in prestigious journals (e.g., Nano-McLaw, Applied Catalytic B, Susmat, Susmat, Green Chemistry, Nano Energy, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Review, Water Research, Water Research ) and 2 chapters in the natural field of resource utilization, waste carriers, green chemistry, wastewater treatment and green energy, and his work are introduced in the global science and technology media.
Professor Bing-Jie Ni He received his PhD in Environmental Engineering in June 2009. He is currently a full professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He is a member of the Royal Chemistry Society and highly cited researchers worldwide. He has been working in the fields of environmental technology and wastewater treatment, especially the interface between process engineering, microbial biotechnology, materials science and mathematical modeling, focusing on the integration of these disciplines to develop innovative and sustainable technological solutions to achieve Advanced pollutants minimize carbon footprint from wastewater and maximize energy recovery to convert waste or wastewater from troublesome pollutants into valuable resources and save a lot of greenhouse gas emissions.
