Green lithium: photoelectrochemical extraction

Zhongxiao Li; Zhen Li; Hao Huang; Yunduo Yao; Bilawal Khan; Ye Zhu; Kuo-Wei Huang; Zhiping Lai; Jr-Hau He

doi:10.1186/s43074-023-00100-9

Green lithium: photoelectrochemical extraction

doi: 10.1186/s43074-023-00100-9

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出版历程
- 收稿日期: 2023-01-10
- 录用日期: 2023-06-19
- 修回日期: 2023-05-19
- 网络出版日期: 2023-07-10

Green lithium: photoelectrochemical extraction

1.
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
2.
Division of Physical Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
3.
KAUST Catalysis Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
4.
Department of Applied Physics, Research Institute for Smart Energy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
5.
Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Institute of Materials Research and Engineering and Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment, Singapore, 138634, Singapore

Funds: We acknowledge the financial support from City University of Hong Kong and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

摘要

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Abstract:
Lithium (Li) is an essential element in modern energy production and storage devices. Technology to extract Li from seawater, which contains ~ 230 billion tons of Li, offers a solution to the widespread concern regarding quantitative and geographical limitations of future Li supplies. To obtain green Li from seawater, we propose an unassisted photoelectrochemical (PEC) Li extraction system based on an III-V-based triple-junction (3J) photoelectrode and a Li-ion selective membrane with only sunlight as an input. A light-harvesting/catalysis decoupling scheme yielded a 3J photoelectrode with excellent light-harvesting and catalysis reaction capabilities and superb stability over the 840 h of the extraction process. It allows the system to successfully enrich seawater Li by 4,350 times (i.e., from 0.18 ppm to 783.56 ppm) after three extraction stages. The overall reaction of the unassisted PEC green Li extraction system achieved 2.08 mg kJ⁻¹ of solar-to-Li efficiency and 3.65% of solar-to-hydrogen efficiency.Photoelectrochemical (PEC) lithium extraction device is designed to explore lithium from seawater for the first time. The PEC cell with a triple-junction (InGaP/GaAs/Ge) photoelectrode and light-harvesting/catalysis decoupling scheme is constructed, offering a suitable operating potential and superb stability to the membrane-based extraction process in the seawater. The device can successfully enrich lithium by 4,350 times (from 0.18 to 783.56 ppm).
- Photoelectrochemical /
- Unassisted Li extraction /
- Seawater /
- Green Li

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参考文献(44)

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