Electrochemical lithium ions pump for lithium recovery from brine by using a surface stability Al2O3–ZrO2 coated LiMn2O4 electrode

The rapid commercialization of lithium–ion batteries has caused significant expansion of the lithium demand. Electrochemical lithium ions pump is a promising technology because of its good selectivity and friendly environment. Herein, an Al2O3–ZrO2 film coating of the LiMn2O4 (AlZr–LMO) electrode is prepared and operated for recovery of Li+ from brine. The Li+ maximum extraction capacity of AlZr–LMO reached 49.92 mg/g in one cycle. Compared with the solely LMO electrode, the AlZr–LMO demonstrated evident electrochemical stability and cycle life towards the Li+ recovery system. After 30 successive cycles, the extraction capacity for Li+ increased from 29.21% to 57.67%. The high cycle capacity of the material could be attributed to its low polarization, high active sites, and good chemical stability of the electrode surface owing to the synergy function of Al2O3–ZrO2 in the charging-discharging process. A dynamic model parameter identification method was performed to evaluate the active site of AlZr–LMO. This work may provide a way to design the AlZr–LMO electrode and develop a good method for the recovery of lithium from brine.