Room-temperature, time-efficient and sustainable recycling of solid electrolytes from all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries

Intensive energy consumption, long leaching time and low leaching efficiency remain key problems in sustainable recycling of solid electrolytes (SSEs) from all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries. Here, we propose a novel strategy to simultaneously overcome these challenges by using representative green solvents, i.e., low-melting mixture solvents (LoMMSs). LoMMSs are novel green solvents with the advantages of low cost, ease of synthesis, biodegradability and tunability. Results show that LoMMSs composed of polyethylene glycol and p -toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate enables 88.5 % Li leaching efficiency from the SSEs within only 1 min at room-temperature. In addition, when using LoMMSs at room temperature for 1 h, the leaching efficiencies of Li, La, Al and Zr from SSEs could reach 97.0 %, 91.7 %, 73.7 % and 83.9 %, respectively. This could be attributed to the coordination and acid–base interactions in the recycling of SSEs.