A research conducted by Yuki Shibata et al. was published in ACS SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.
As demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to grow with the expansion of electric vehicles and renewable energy, reducing CO₂ emissions and resource consumption associated with battery production has become increasingly important. Reusing degraded batteries is one promising approach to addressing this challenge.
Toyota Central R&D Labs. has previously demonstrated that battery capacity can be recovered by injecting a recovery reagent. However, conventional reagents require external voltage, making them unsuitable for LiFePO₄ (LFP) batteries.
In this study, the researchers developed a new fluorene-based recovery reagent and demonstrated that it can restore the capacity of a simulated degraded LFP cell to a level close to that of a pristine cell without requiring external voltage, with the reagent reverting to stable fluorene after the reaction.
Further development of this technology could help extend the use of LFP batteries and reduce CO₂ emissions and resource consumption across the battery lifecycle.
Title: Fluorene-Based Capacity Recovery Reagent for LiFePO4 Batteries
Authors: Shibata, Y., Mikita, R., Kondo H.
Journal Name: ACS SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Published: November 27, 2025