The present disclosure provides Molecular Recognition Technology (MRT) for selectively sequestering lithium from natural and synthetic brines, leachates, or other chemical mixtures. Also disclosed herein are MRT extractants, ligands, beads and methods of making and using thereof.

The present disclosure provides fluorinated crown ethers. The fluorinated crown ethers have one or more pendant fluorinated groups (e.g., thioether groups with a terminal fluorinated group). The fluorinated crown ethers have desirable solubility in supercritical carbon dioxide. Also provided are methods and systems for removal of lithium (e.g., lithium ions) from aqueous samples using the fluorinated crown ethers coupled with lipophilic cation exchangers.

The present disclosure provides fluorinated crown ethers. The fluorinated crown ethers have one or more pendant fluorinated groups (e.g., thioether groups with a terminal fluorinated group). The fluorinated crown ethers have desirable solubility in supercritical carbon dioxide. Also provided are methods and systems for removal of lithium (e.g., lithium ions) from aqueous samples using the fluorinated crown ethers coupled with lipophilic cation exchangers.

A composition for extracting a metal, the composition comprising an organic phase comprising an organic solvent and an organic phosphate. The composition may comprise a crown ether. The crown ether may comprise B15C5 crown and the organic solvent may comprise chloroform, toluene, xylene, dichloroethane, trichloroethane, heptane, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, or a combination thereof. The organic phase may further comprise an alcohol. A method for extracting a metal, the method comprising disposing an organic phase comprising an organic solvent and an organic phosphate; and an aqueous phase comprising a metal salt and a base into a high-speed countercurrent chromatograph.

Electrolytic systems and methods are described for extracting lithium ions from a brine and depositing onto a conductive substrate to form purified lithium and lithium alloys suitable for use in lithium metal batteries. The methods allow for selective extraction of lithium ions and electroplating the extracted lithium ions as lithium metal and lithium metal alloys.

Systems and methods are provided for separation/extraction of rare earth elements (REE), yttrium (Y), and/or radium (Ra) from phosphogypsum. Extraction of REE, Y, and/or Ra can be achieved by treating phosphogypsum with acidic aqueous media at ambient temperature in a reactor at low liquid:solid (L:S) ratios (e.g., L:S in a range of from 1:1 to 15:1), followed by ion exchange chromatography or solvent extraction of relevant anions and/or cations to ensure that the mineral hosts remain undersaturated while the gypsum remains saturated in the solvent. Grinding of the phosphogypsum (e.g., in a slurry mill) can be performed to ensure that minor mineral inclusions are fully accessed by the solvent.