Adsorption Materials toward Highly-Efficient Lithium Extraction from Non-Conventional Lithium Sources.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Growing demand for lithium due to new energy vehicles and energy storage systems.
• Need for efficient direct lithium extraction (DLE) from unconventional sources like salt-lake brines, geothermal brines, wastewater, and seawater.
• Adsorption technology presents advantages for lithium recovery due to simplicity, selectivity, and scalability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review advancements and challenges in lithium extraction from unconventional sources.
• To focus on rational design of adsorption materials for selective Li+ recognition and practical applications.
• To present principles for future lithium adsorption materials and perspectives on DLE.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent advancements in adsorption-based DLE.
• Analysis of material design strategies for lithium ion selectivity and capacity.
• Discussion of practical application-oriented optimizations and environmental resilience.

Main Results:

• DLE adsorption technology offers unique advantages for lithium recovery from complex solutions.
• Rational design of adsorption materials is crucial for high selectivity, capacity, and resilience.
• Targeted material design for Li+ recognition is a key focus for practical DLE.

Conclusions:

• Adsorption-based DLE is a promising approach for sustainable lithium supply from diverse, low-concentration sources.
• Further development of innovative adsorption materials and extraction methods is essential.
• Optimized material design and application strategies will drive efficient lithium recovery from unconventional resources.