Bipolar Membrane Capacitive Deionization for the Selective Capture of Lithium Ions from Brines and Conversion to Lithium Hydroxide

Meeting the increasing demand for lithium in vehicle electrification and renewable energy storage requires innovations in lithium-ion (Li⁺) separations. Traditional solar evaporation methods for lithium recovery are slow and consume tremendous volumes of water and secondary chemicals (acids and bases). This study introduces a bipolar membrane capacitive deionization (BPM-CDI) unit for direct lithium extraction and LiOH production without the external addition of acids and bases. Utilizing de-lithiated lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) coated carbon cloth electrodes, the BPM-CDI unit demonstrates selective Li⁺ capture over competing ions. Molecular dynamics simulations and H-cell experiments elucidate pH inversion mechanisms during Li⁺ release, yielding LiOH. The BPM-CDI platform efficiently removes Li⁺ from synthetic brines featuring 8x higher Mg²⁺ concentrations (200 ppm Mg²⁺) and 26x higher Na⁺ concentrations (682 ppm Na⁺), achieving a LiOH concentration of 124 ppm (36 ppm Li⁺) after 8 cycles of recirculation. Post-mortem analysis confirms electrode integrity and stability. BPM-CDI integrated with selective electrodes is a promising electrochemical separation-reactor platform for lithium recovery while producing LiOH.