An ion-sieve-tailored biomimetic porous nanofiber as an efficient adsorbent for extraction of lithium from brine

Abstract

A lithium-ion sieve (H_1.6Mn_1.6O₄) with a porous nanofiber structure imitating the loofah skeleton was prepared in the currently reported work by performing electrospinning and high-temperature calcination. This prepared NFs@LIS-6:6 showed a controllable porous nanofiber structure and abundant Li⁺ adsorption sites. The separation coefficient for Mg²⁺ reached 421.68. Surprisingly, compared with particulate adsorbents, NFs@LIS-6:6 showed a 94.44% higher Li⁺ adsorption rate and 33.90% higher adsorption capacity, indicating an extraordinary potential for extracting Li⁺ from salt lake brine.