Bio-inspired channels separate lithium up to five times more selectively

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have built nanoscale channels that let lithium ions through while blocking sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. In lab tests the channels were two to five times more selective than other recent lithium transporters. The next step is scaling them into membranes for industrial lithium recovery from brines and spent batteries.

• Lithium selectivity was 2–5 times higher than comparable transporters in lab tests
• Separation relies on chemical groups at the pore entrances and a confined interior
• No commercial-scale recovery rates, energy use or costs were disclosed
• The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society