Single-Step Electrochemical Battery Recycling

Abstract Sustainable battery production is a major challenge for the future of electrification with the rise in battery production leading to a massive increase in demand for battery cathode materials. Needed are environmentally responsible ways to recycle used cathodes into new cathodes to create a circular economy for batteries. While some battery recycling and recovery techniques for battery components are developed, they can involve costly and environmentally impactful multi‐step processes. This work demonstrates for the first time the simultaneous dissolution and electrochemical deposition of Li‐ion transition metal oxide cathodes, providing a path to directly fabricate new battery cathodes from old battery cathodes. The LiCoO 2 cathodes formed via this recycling process exhibit near‐theoretical capacities, are binder and additive‐free, and are phase pure. Technoeconomic and life cycle analyses show the simultaneous dissolution and electrochemical deposition process is less costly and environmentally harmful than traditional pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, and direct recycling methods. This method has major potential impacts and advantages on the industrial scale as it creates battery materials in fewer steps at a lower cost and with a lower environmental impact than current battery recycling methods.