Achieving Material and Energy Dual Circulations of Spent Lithium‐Ion Batteries via Triboelectric Nanogenerator

Abstract The electrification of transportation in the past few decades has sparked the retirement of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) which hinders sustainability derived from environmental impact and valuable elements loss through improper disposal. The challenges of recycling spent LIB are contamination, complicated processes, massive chemical/energy consumption, and secondary pollution. Here, a material and energy dual circulations method is proposed for a closed‐loop and sustainably recycling the components in spent LIBs. In the material circulation, the cathode, anode, and the accessories, like castings, aluminum‐plastic films, and binders, are recycled by electrochemical dual‐electrode recycling technology to regenerate LIBs and fabricate a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). In energy circulation, the fabricated TENG converts ambient wind energy into electricity to continuously power the material circulation by forming a self‐powered system. This system shows high element selectivity (Li, 99.7%; Ni, 96.1%; Co, 97.3%; and Mn, 97.2%), self‐powering, a simplified treating procedure, and high profit, which makes it feasible for commercial application.