Recycling Strategy for Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries as an Ultra-efficiency Peroxymonosulfate Activator

In this study, a novel strategy was exploited to prepare an ultra-efficiency NiCoMn-layered double-hydroxide (NiCoMn-LDH) catalyst for the recycle of valuable elements in spent lithium-ion batteries. Based on the developed hydrometallurgical leaching method, avoiding the drawback of separation and purification procedures, it was stated that the elements of Ni, Co, and Mn could be synchronously extracted from the spent cathode powder in less than 20 min with leaching efficiencies exceeding 98.9%. NiCoMn-LDH with a uniform flake structure was synthesized successfully from the leaching solution by a co-precipitation method and the element precipitation efficiencies all exceeded 99% in the preparation process. NiCoMn-LDH exhibited a great tetrabromobisphenol S (TBBPS) degradation performance as a peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator, TBBPS could be degraded completely in less than 100 s with an extremely low dosage (catalyst 10 mg/L and PMS 0.1 mmol/L, pH 5.6), and NiCoMn-LDH still kept a good stability after multiple reuse. Besides, ECOSAR predicted the toxicity of degradation products declined with the decrease of bromine substituents, reflecting the environmental friendliness of NiCoMn-LDH from spent lithium-ion batteries.