A Review of Chemically Induced Intercalation and Deintercalation in Battery Materials

Abstract

Intercalation is the fundamental process underlying lithium-ion batteries and related technologies. While intercalation is electrochemically induced in batteries, it can also be performed with chemical redox agents. In principle, the two processes are equivalent, although there can be differences, such as rate control, side reactions, and charge transfer mechanisms. Chemically induced intercalation can be used where electrochemical methods are impractical or impossible and continues to inspire innovative applications. This chemistry is important in synthesis and pretreatment of intercalation materials, with novel impactful applications emerging that range from lithium recycling to intercalation material-based redox flow batteries. This review summarizes the use of chemical intercalation and serves as a resource for selecting and optimizing methods specific to material and application. Covering the whole life cycle of intercalation materials: development, synthesis, use, and finally recycling, it can be expected that these reactions will continue to have great impact on the path toward efficient and cheap energy storage.