High-Purity Lithium Metal Films from Aqueous Mineral Solutions.

Lithium metal is a leading candidate for next-generation electrochemical energy storage and therefore a key material for the future sustainable energy economy. Lithium has a high specific energy, low toxicity, and relatively favorable abundance. The majority of lithium production originates from salt lakes and is based on long (>12 months) periods of evaporation to concentrate the lithium salt, followed by molten electrolysis.