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Vol. 18 (2026)

Direct Repair of the Crystal Structure and Coating Surface of Spent LiFePO4 Materials Enables Superfast Li-Ion Migration

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01980-1
Yuanqi Lan
Advanced Energy Storage Technology Research Center, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
Jianfeng Wen
Advanced Energy Storage Technology Research Center, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
Yatian Zhang
Advanced Energy Storage Technology Research Center, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
Xuexia Lan
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Energy Materials for Carbon Neutrality, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
Tianyi Song
Advanced Energy Storage Technology Research Center, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
Jie Zhu
Advanced Energy Storage Technology Research Center, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
Jing Peng
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Energy Materials for Carbon Neutrality, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
Wenjiao Yao
Advanced Energy Storage Technology Research Center, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
Yongbing Tang
Advanced Energy Storage Technology Research Center, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
Hui‑Ming Cheng
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Yongbing Tang

tangyb@siat.ac.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 18 (2026), Article Number: 137

Abstract

The rapid accumulation of spent LiFePO4 (LFP) cathodes from retired lithium-ion batteries necessitates the development of effective and environmental-friendly recycling strategies. In this context, direct regeneration has emerged as a promising approach for reclaiming LFP cathode materials, offering a streamlined pathway to restore their electrochemical functionality. We report an integrated regeneration protocol that simultaneously repairs the degraded crystal structure and reconstructs the damaged carbon coating in spent LFP. The regenerated cathode material had superfast lithium-ion diffusion kinetics and a stable cathode–electrolyte interface, giving a remarkable rate capability with specific capacities of 122 mAh g−1 at 5C and 106 mAh g−1 at 10C (1C = 170 mA g−1). It also maintained capacities of 110.7 mAh g−1 (5C) and 84.1 mAh g−1 (10C) after 400 cycles. It could be used in harsh environments and could be stably cycled at subzero temperatures (− 10 and − 20 °C) and in solid-state electrolyte batteries. Life cycle assessment combined with economic evaluation using the EverBatt model reveals that this direct regeneration approach has high economic and environmental benefits.


Highlights:
1 Simultaneously repairing the degraded crystal structure and reconstructing the damaged carbon coating in spent LiFePO4 cathode enables superfast lithium-ion diffusion kinetics and produces a stable cathode–electrolyte interface.
2 The regenerated LiFePO4 cathode delivers remarkable rate capability, low-temperature performance and compatibility in solid-state batteries.
3 The proposed direct regeneration approach has high economic and environmental benefits compared to hydrometallurgical and conventional direct recycling methods.

Keywords

Spent Li-ion battery LiFePO4 cathode Direct recycling
Lan, Yuanqi, Jianfeng Wen, Yatian Zhang, Xuexia Lan, Tianyi Song, Jie Zhu, Jing Peng, Wenjiao Yao, Yongbing Tang, and Hui‑Ming Cheng. 2026. “Direct Repair of the Crystal Structure and Coating Surface of Spent LiFePO4 Materials Enables Superfast Li-Ion Migration”. Nano-Micro Letters 18 (January):137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01980-1.
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