Deep eutectic solvent-assisted recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries into electrocatalysts for polyethylene terephthalate upcycling

Abstract

We propose an effective method for selectively extracting the valuable metals from the spent LiNi_xCo_yMn_1−x−yO₂ cathode material using an oxalic acid-based deep eutectic solvent. Through regulation of the coordination environment, NiO, Co₃O₄, and Mn₃O₄ are stepwise separated and further applied in the electrochemical conversion of raw PET bottles to high-purity formic acid.