Upcycling Industrial Wastewater to Three-Dimensional Porous Cu<sub>4</sub>(OH)<sub>6</sub>FCl Nanosheets as Anode for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Zhou, Xianggang; Yang, Dan; Sun, Hechen; Xiao, Shanshan; Tang, Wensi; Qiu, Tianyu; Saghir, Javeria; Li, Yingqi et al. · Nano Lett · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

With the vigorous development of artificial intelligence and the semiconductor industry, the treatment of a mass of copper- and fluorine-containing industrial wastewater poses a challenge to the sustainable development of human society and the environment. This study presents a scalable synthesis of 3D porous Cu<sub>4</sub>(OH)<sub>6</sub>FCl nanosheets via the self-assembly of Cu<sup>2+</sup>, F<sup>-</sup>, and Cl<sup>-</sup> from industrial wastewater. Benefiting from the unique 3D porous nanosheet structure that facilitates the extensive exposure of redox active sites (∼92.7%), the Cu<sub>4</sub>(OH)<sub>6</sub>FCl anode in a lithium-ion battery delivers remarkable reversible capacity (958 mAh g<sup>-1</sup> at 0.04 A g<sup>-1</sup>) and exhibits exceptional cycling stability (no capacity decay after 1000 cycles at 0.64 A g<sup>-1</sup>), significantly outperforming its bare CuF<sub>2</sub> and CuCl<sub>2</sub> counterparts. This research presents a novel strategy for upcycling industrial wastewater to high-performance anode materials in a mild coprecipitation manner, promoting the unity of environmental, social, and economic benefits.