Constructing High‐Performance Cobalt‐Based Environmental Catalysts from Spent Lithium‐Ion Batteries: Unveiling Overlooked Roles of Copper and Aluminum from Current Collectors

Converting spent lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) cathode materials into environmental catalysts has drawn more and more attention. Herein, we fabricated a Co3O4‐based catalyst from spent LiCoO2 LIBs (Co3O4‐LIBs) and found that the role of Al and Cu from current collectors on its performance is nonnegligible. The density functional theory calculations confirmed that the doping of Al and/or Cu upshifts the d‐band center of Co. A Fenton‐like reaction based on peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation was adopted to evaluate its activity. Interestingly, Al doping strengthened chemisorption for PMS (from −2.615 eV to −2.623 eV) and shortened Co−O bond length (from 2.540 Å to 2.344 Å) between them, whereas Cu doping reduced interfacial charge‐transfer resistance (from 28.347 kΩ to 6.689 kΩ) excepting for the enhancement of the above characteristics. As expected, the degradation activity toward bisphenol A of Co3O4‐LIBs (0.523 min−1) was superior to that of Co3O4 prepared from commercial CoC2O4 (0.287 min−1). Simultaneously, the reasons for improved activity were further verified by comparing activity with catalysts doped Al and/or Cu into Co3O4. This work reveals the role of elements from current collectors on the performance of functional materials from spent LIBs, which is beneficial to the sustainable utilization of spent LIBs. The role of trace metals from current collectors on the activity of environmental catalysts converted from spent LIBs was revealed by a Fenton‐like reaction. Al and Cu from current collectors could tune the d‐band centre of active sites, leading to improved conductivity and strengthened chemisorption ability toward reactants, thereby enhancing the catalytic activity of environmental catalysts converted from spent LIBs.