Highly efficient re-cycle/generation of LiCoO₂ cathode assisted by 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid

The explosively growing demand for electrical energy is generating a great deal of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Therefore, a simple and effective strategy for the sustainable recycling of used batteries is urgently needed to minimize chemical consumption and to reduce the associated environmental pollution. In this work, 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid is innovatively proposed for the highly-selective recovery of valuable metals. Impressively, lithium and cobalt are simultaneously separated through a single-step process, in which 99.3% of lithium is leached out as Li⁺ enriched solutions while 99% of cobalt is precipitated as cobalt-naphthalenesulfonate. The obtained lithium enriched solutions are recovered as Li₂CO₃. The cobalt-naphthalenesulfonate with high purity (99%) is ready to be transformed into Co₃O₄, and then generated into LiCoO₂ by reacting with the above-obtained Li₂CO₃. The cathode material LiCoO₂ with micro/nanostructures exhibits excellent electrochemical properties. Characterization results confirm the coordination structure of the extracted cobalt complex (Co(NS)2•6H₂O). Finally, compared to other selective metal extraction techniques, this strategy avoids additional separation and purification processes, thus improving the recycling efficiency. Overall, this route can be extended to selectively extract valuable metals from other types of cathode materials in spent LIBs as a sustainable approach.