Abstract

This study addresses the critical demand for lithium by advancing electrochemical adsorption methods for Li+ extraction from Salt Lake, emphasizing high selectivity, capacity, and sustainability. Traditional lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4) faces limitations due to the Jahn-Teller effect and manganese dissolution. We engineered LiMn2O4 with NiFe2O4 interface alloying, achieving low manganese dissolution and high extraction capacity. Advanced imaging techniques revealed successful alloying at the interface, and electrochemical analyses confirmed enhanced Li+ transfer. Density functional theory calculations supported the alloyed structure's efficacy in lowering Li+ insertion energy barriers and mitigating the Jahn-Teller effect. The NiFeLMO//Ag electrochemical system demonstrated a high Li+ extraction capacity of 35.93 mg·g−1 (98.85 % of theoretical capacity) in simulated Salt Lake brine. This research is expected to break through conventional thinking in interface modification functionality, opening up greater freedom for the design of interface-modified electrodes.