Dissolution of Spent Lithium‐Ion Battery Cathode Materials: Overlooked Significance of Aluminum Impurities (Adv. Sci. 21/2025)

Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials This study explores how aluminum (Al) impurities infiltrate nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide (NCM) cathode materials from spent lithium-ion batteries, displacing transition metals (Ni, Co, Mn) and forming stable Al-O bonds, which interfere lattice oxygen release and NCM extraction by formic acid, ammonia, and deep eutectic solvent to varying extent, thus providing key insights into the impact of impurity on critical metal recovery. More details can be found in article number 2417737 by Kang Liu, Daniel C.W. Tsang, and co-workers.