Reuse of graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries: Graphite@MnOx composites for high-performance supercapacitor application

This study investigates the reuse of graphite recovered from spent lithium-ion batteries for supercapacitor applications. Lithium-ion batteries currently dominate the energy storage market and generate significant waste, which contains valuable metal compounds. Effectively recycling these materials provides a sustainable source of raw materials and supports the circular economy by enabling their direct reuse in new electrochemical storage systems. However, developing novel recycling methods requires simple yet effective strategies to obtain ready-to-use active materials. In this research, recovered graphite is combined with MnO 2 to create a composite using a single-step electroless process. The resulting composite was tested as an electrode in a Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte, demonstrating promising electrochemical performance. Electrochemical results were discussed in light of the morphological and structural material properties. Furthermore, a symmetric cell was assembled, achieving a high specific capacitance of 28.6 F g −1 at a current density of 0.6 A g −1 . It also exhibited excellent high-rate capability and remarkable cycling stability over 5000 cycles, with a capacitance retention of 80.2 %. These results highlight the potential of reusing recycled graphite as a cost-effective and locally sourced electrode material for more sustainable energy storage applications.