Advanced cathode for dual-ion batteries: Waste-to-wealth reuse of spent graphite from lithium-ion batteries
Jia-Lin Yang,
Xin-Xin Zhao,
Wen-Hao Li,
Hao-Jie Liang,
Zhen-Yi Gu,
Yan Liu,
Miao Du,
Xing-Long Wu
Affiliations
Jia-Lin Yang
MOE Key Laboratory for UV Light-Emitting Materials and Technology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, PR China
Xin-Xin Zhao
National & Local United Engineering Lab for Power Battery, Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, PR China
Wen-Hao Li
MOE Key Laboratory for UV Light-Emitting Materials and Technology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, PR China
Hao-Jie Liang
MOE Key Laboratory for UV Light-Emitting Materials and Technology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, PR China
Zhen-Yi Gu
MOE Key Laboratory for UV Light-Emitting Materials and Technology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, PR China
Yan Liu
National & Local United Engineering Lab for Power Battery, Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, PR China
Miao Du
National & Local United Engineering Lab for Power Battery, Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, PR China
Xing-Long Wu
MOE Key Laboratory for UV Light-Emitting Materials and Technology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130024, PR China; National & Local United Engineering Lab for Power Battery, Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, PR China; Corresponding author.
The amount of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is constantly increasing as their popularity grows. It is important to develop a recycling method that cannot only convert large amounts of waste anode graphite into high value-added products but is also simple and environmentally friendly. In this work, spent graphite from an anode was transformed into a cathode for dual-ion batteries (DIBs) through a two-step treatment. This method enables the crystal structure and morphology of spent graphite to recover from the adverse effects of long cycling and be restored to a regular layered structure with appropriate layer spacing for anion intercalation. In addition, pyrolysis of the solid electrolyte interphase into an amorphous carbon layer prevents the electrode from degrading and improves its cycling performance. The recycled negative graphite has a high reversible capacity of 87 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1, and its rate performance when used as a cathode in DIBs is comparable to that of commercial graphite. This simple recycling idea turns spent anode graphite into a cathode material with attractive potential and superior electrochemical performance, genuinely achieving sustainable energy use. It also provides a new method for recovering exhausted batteries.
