Recycling of End‐of‐Life Lithium–Sulfur Battery Cathodes for CO ₂ Capture

Abstract Landfilling of end‐of‐life lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries results in the loss of valuable materials, soil contamination from hazardous electrolytes, and risks of explosions caused by reactive lithium metals. Recycling Li–S batteries is crucial for battery sustainability and circularity. However, recycling of Li–S battery cathodes imposes a challenge because sulfur removal is cumbersome and costly. This study demonstrates that sulfur‐carbon composites recycled from end‐of‐life Li–S batteries can be reused to capture CO ₂ . Specifically, battery charge/discharge cycling expands the lattices of carbons, causing exfoliation to enlarge the surface areas that enhance CO ₂ adsorption. The acid treatment inserts oxygen‐functional groups into the sulfur‐carbon composite, further promoting CO ₂ capture. The findings unveil that battery charge/discharge cycling increases the CO ₂ uptake efficiency of recycled sulfur‐carbon composite, highlighting a cost‐effective recycling strategy and a promising reuse pathway for end‐of‐life sulfur‐based batteries to achieve deeper decarbonization.