Lithium mining is energy intensive and environmentally costly. This is because lithium ions are typically present in brines as a minor component mixed with physiochemically similar cations that are difficult to separate. Inspired by nature’s ability to selectively extract species in transpiration, we report a solar transpiration–powered lithium extraction and storage (STLES) device that can extract and store lithium from brines using natural sunlight.
DOI:doi/10.1126/science.adm7034
