Selective Lithium Recovery via Photothermal Evaporation and Hydration-Controlled Adsorption

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Solar-driven evaporation offers a sustainable route for lithium recovery from saline sources.
• Current methods face limitations including slow reaction rates, poor selectivity, and interference from other ions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced composite material for enhanced lithium extraction from saline water.
• To investigate the mechanisms governing selective lithium adsorption and solar-driven evaporation.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a bilayer Mo-Layered Double Hydroxide@Sponge composite.
• Integration of photothermal evaporation with hydration-controlled adsorption principles.
• Analysis of dynamic two-stage adsorption-evaporation behavior under solar irradiation.

Main Results:

• The composite demonstrated efficient and selective lithium ion (Li+) recovery.
• A dynamic process was observed: initial enhancement of ion transport and evaporation, followed by hydration-induced adsorption suppression.
• Elevated temperatures were found to promote compact hydration shells around Li+, influencing diffusion and viscosity.

Conclusions:

• The developed composite provides a robust and selective platform for scalable lithium recovery using solar energy.
• The study elucidates a hydration-controlled adsorption mechanism crucial for optimizing lithium extraction efficiency.
• This work offers a mechanistic foundation for designing next-generation solar evaporators for resource recovery.