Garbage in, metal out: A perspective on recycling battery metals using organic molecules

Global demand for batteries is increasing at a rapid pace, precipitating the equally rapid generation of hazardous battery waste. Recycling, which holds high potential for both mitigating this waste and recovering raw materials for subsequent battery manufacture, is often recognized as a necessary component of the battery life cycle. A critical step in many battery recycling schemes is the use of solvent to recover valuable metals such as lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, and others. This recovery typically involves the use of harsh mineral acids and peroxides, which pose their own environmental and safety hazards. The use of more benign organic acids and other organic compounds has emerged as a promising means to mitigate the hazards posed by purely inorganic solvents. In this article, we review recent research on organics-based metal recovery for battery recycling and provide our perspective on the extant challenges and opportunities in the field.