Black mass from Spent Li-batteries as co-catalyts of C3N4 photocatalyst for photoreforming of aqueous solutions of organics

Abstract

Nowadays there is a justified enhanced interest in sustainable technologies that integrate different renewable resources. In this context, the development of processes for the valorisation of spent lithium-ion batteries (s-LiBs) is an urgent issue [1]. In the current work graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has been enriched with a metal-based co-catalyst obtained from the mixture of anode and cathode powders (black mass (BM)) contained into s-LiBs (see Figure 1). g-C3N4 possesses optimal characteristics as a photocatalyst even under solar irradiation, and its coupling with various materials as graphene or TiO2 improve the H2 productivity by photoreforming. On the other hand, the reuse and valorisation of s-LiBs is an urgent issue.