Solar-driven ultrafast lithium extraction from low-grade brine using microfluidics-mediated vortex in scalable electrochemical reactors

• Spiral microstructures were designed to enhance mass transfer by forced vortex. Li extraction rate was greatly increased the spiral-microstructured reactor. An off-grid solar power system demonstrated drive SMER extract Li. TEA results show a production cost of $28.55/kg, well below market price ($70.99/kg). Electrochemical lithium (Li) from low-grade salt lake brine, when powered renewables, represents potential approach meeting substantially increasing demand for battery-grade 2 CO 3 . However, this technology has been drastically challenged low and high cost, largely due lack research on reactor engineering scale-out. Herein, we rationally scalable electrochemical (SMER) accomplish ultrafast economical under harsh brine conditions virtue significantly accelerated transfer. We showcased that stably operated at over 5.6 times as much state-of-art devices, could be up-scaled commercial driven cells. This work lays ground sustainable remote can readily applied more minable reserves/resources.