Continuous Lithium-Ion Extraction From Seawater and Mine Water With a Fuel Cell System and Ceramic Membranes

The demand for electronic devices that utilize lithium is steadily increasing in this rapidly advancing technological world. Obtaining high-purity lithium in an environmentally friendly way is challenging by using commercialized methods. Herein, we propose the first fuel cell system for continuous lithium-ion extraction using a lithium superionic conductor membrane and advanced electrode. The fuel cell system for extracting lithium-ion has demonstrated a twofold increase in the selectivity of Li+/Na+ while producing electricity. Our data show that the fuel cell with a titania-coated electrode achieves 95% lithium-ion purity while generating 10.23 Wh of energy per gram of lithium. Our investigation revealed that using atomic layer deposition improved the electrode's uniformity, stability, and electrocatalytic activity. After 2000 cycles determined by cyclic voltammetry, the electrode preserved its stability. To achieve high purity and selectivity in lithium-ion extraction, using ceramic membranes that are selective to lithium is ideal, and titania can be employed as a protective layer on the gas diffusion electrode to improve the catalyst's durability. Our data show that a lithium superionic conductor can be used in fuel cells for extracting lithium. A fuel cell-based lithium extraction system can achieve a purity level of 95% while generating 0.12 Wh of energy. image