Metal oxide sorbents for the sustainable recovery of lithium from unconventional resources

Abstract The use of electric vehicles having reduced environmental footprints is viewed as one of the foremost innovations in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and most of these vehicles primarily rely on high energy density lithium-ion batteries manufactured from highly purified lithium products. Most lithium derivatives are produced from South American salars, which may have significant environmental impacts because of the use of large evaporation ponds. The growing demand for electric vehicles and rising environmental concerns about lithium sourcing have catalyzed the search for more efficient lithium recovery technologies to be deployed for lithium extraction from not only conventional lithium deposits but also unconventional resources such as oilfield brines. In this paper, we review the history and current status of metal oxide sorbents, one of the most promising direct lithium extraction technologies, discuss their advantages and shortcomings, and outline potential future research pathways.