Fish-inspired nanorobots for lithium recovery from seawater

This article was originally posted on Chemical Engineering Online.

Summary

Texas A&M researchers are developing fish-inspired, self-propelled nanorobots that swim through seawater to capture lithium ions, supported by a $1 million U.S. DOE award. The project aims to create a more efficient, sustainable alternative to conventional lithium recovery by boosting selectivity and recovery from ultra-dilute seawater while reducing energy and chemical use, with efforts focused on capture-and-release performance, reusability, and scalability.

What do you see as the biggest barrier to making nanorobot-based lithium extraction viable at scale—ion selectivity (over sodium/magnesium), energy for propulsion, or efficient recovery and regeneration of the captured lithium?

A Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas) research team is developing a new approach to lithium recovery using tiny, fish-like swimming nanorobots that capture lithium ions from seawater. Supported by a $1 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE; Washington, D.C.) award, the project aims to create a more efficient and sustainable pathway to access a […]

The post Fish-inspired nanorobots for lithium recovery from seawater appeared first on Chemical Engineering.

Fish-inspired nanorobots for lithium recovery from seawater

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