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Tianqin Huang, Pengrui Sun, Ruiqi Yong, Yan Wang, Ying Zhao, Chuhan Huang, Wei Zhou, Lifeng Ding, Lu Guo, Xianfen Wang, Meng Ding. Engineering LDH-Derived LiCoMnO4 Spinel/MXene Heterostructures via a Dual-Tuning Strategy for Efficient Lithium Extraction from Low-Grade Brines. Green Energy&Environment. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2026.03.019
Citation: Tianqin Huang, Pengrui Sun, Ruiqi Yong, Yan Wang, Ying Zhao, Chuhan Huang, Wei Zhou, Lifeng Ding, Lu Guo, Xianfen Wang, Meng Ding. Engineering LDH-Derived LiCoMnO4 Spinel/MXene Heterostructures via a Dual-Tuning Strategy for Efficient Lithium Extraction from Low-Grade Brines. Green Energy&Environment. doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2026.03.019
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Engineering LDH-Derived LiCoMnO4 Spinel/MXene Heterostructures via a Dual-Tuning Strategy for Efficient Lithium Extraction from Low-Grade Brines

doi: 10.1016/j.gee.2026.03.019

  • a. Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, School of Science, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China;

  • b. Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, UK;

  • c. Advanced Material Research Center, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, China;

  • d. Yunnan-Malaya Institute, School of Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China;

  • e. Institute of Materials for Energy and Environment, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China

Funds:

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 22308282), Suzhou Science and Technology Development Planning Programme (ZXL2023195), the Research Development Fund (RDF-24-01-064) by Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University (XJTLU). We acknowledge and thank the support received from the Suzhou Industrial Park High Quality Innovation Platform of Functional Molecular Materials and Devices (YZCXPT2023105) and the XJTLU Advanced Materials Research Center (AMRC).

  • Received date 30 December 2025, Accepted date 25 March 2026, RevRecd date 17 March 2026, Available online 02 April 2026
    Abstract
  • Electrochemical lithium extraction from low-grade salt lake brines is a sustainable approach to reliable and cost-efficient lithium supply, yet it is hindered by sluggish diffusion kinetics and the severe interference from competing Mg2+ ions. This study proposes a “dual-tuned” strategy to engineer a high-performance electrode by simultaneously optimizing the intrinsic crystal architecture and the extrinsic conductive network. First, nanosized LiCoMnO4 (LCMO) spinels (∼100 nm) were synthesized via a topotactic transformation from ultrathin Co-Mn-layered double hydroxide (LDH) precursors, effectively shortening ion diffusion paths. Second, these nano-spinels were integrated with Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets to construct a 3D conductive framework that accelerates electron transport. The optimized 50%LCMO/MXene electrode achieved a superior lithium adsorption capacity of 188.55 mg g–1 (4.45 mmol g–1) and remarkable stability (87.6% retention over 200 cycles). Mechanistic investigations via ex-situ XPS and DFT revealed a distinct adsorption pathway: Li+ undergoes bulk intercalation driven by reversible lattice volume evolution, while Mg2+ is restricted to surface accumulation. Moreover, DFT analysis reveals that the Mn environment remains remarkably rigid. This local electronic rigidity minimizes the Jahn-Teller effect and Mn dissolution, providing a fundamental structural explanation for the electrode’s enhanced durability.

     

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