One-Step Electrodeposition of Recycled Ni-Co Alloys from Spent Batteries: A Sustainable Route to High-Performance Water Oxidation Catalysts

One-Step Electrodeposition of Recycled Ni-Co Alloys from Spent Batteries: A Sustainable Route to High-Performance Water Oxidation Catalysts | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article One-Step Electrodeposition of Recycled Ni-Co Alloys from Spent Batteries: A Sustainable Route to High-Performance Water Oxidation Catalysts Xuezheng Xiu, Wenxue Chen, Yanjia Zhang, Lina Han, Haotian Tan, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8445576/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The recovery and reuse of metals from electronic waste for catalyst preparation represents a promising strategy for addressing both energy crises and environmental pollution. In this study, nickel and cobalt were extracted from spent lithium-ion battery powder using a deep eutectic solvent, and the leachate was directly converted into an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst through electrodeposition without intermediate purification steps. The catalyst structure and electrochemical performance were systematically characterized. TEM/EDS confirmed the uniform distribution of nickel-cobalt alloy nanoparticles on carbon paper. Electrochemical measurements in 1 M potassium hydroxide electrolyte demonstrated that the optimized Ni5Co5(ox)(H2O)2/CP catalyst achieved overpotentials of 328 mV, 353 mV, and 375 mV at current densities of 10 mA cm⁻2, 20 mA cm⁻2, and 50 mA cm⁻2, respectively. The best-performing sample, Ni5Co5(ox)(H2O)2/CP-(-50)-30, exhibited catalytic activity approaching that of RuO2 on the same substrate (303 mV overpotential), indicating significant potential for water splitting applications. Furthermore, the catalyst maintained 97% of its initial current density after 80 hours of continuous OER operation, demonstrating excellent long-term stability. Spent Lithium-ion Batteries Hydrometallurgical Recycling Nickel-Cobalt Alloy Electrodeposition Water Electrolysis Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupportingInformationIonics.doc Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 26 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 18 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 11 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Jan, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 06 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 28 Dec, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 28 Dec, 2025 First submitted to journal 24 Dec, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8445576","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":572799713,"identity":"694929d7-d678-4375-93e4-c19b6805aeac","order_by":0,"name":"Xuezheng Xiu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Lithium-ion Batteries and Materials Preparation Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xuezheng","middleName":"","lastName":"Xiu","suffix":""},{"id":572799714,"identity":"3a054caf-618f-4644-bfad-67a0f275d88b","order_by":1,"name":"Wenxue Chen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Lithium-ion Batteries and Materials Preparation Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wenxue","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":572799715,"identity":"5af86ae2-a3cd-4165-b79c-617b9147087f","order_by":2,"name":"Yanjia Zhang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Lithium-ion Batteries and Materials Preparation Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yanjia","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":572799716,"identity":"b8599593-8244-4cee-b687-ca0bf301a5c7","order_by":3,"name":"Lina Han","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Lithium-ion Batteries and Materials Preparation Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lina","middleName":"","lastName":"Han","suffix":""},{"id":572799717,"identity":"74735355-07c4-4979-9a21-8abc3f618fd7","order_by":4,"name":"Haotian Tan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Lithium-ion Batteries and Materials Preparation Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Haotian","middleName":"","lastName":"Tan","suffix":""},{"id":572799718,"identity":"ced3deaf-4feb-45c5-92c9-93f91c25ada4","order_by":5,"name":"Yuqian Gao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Lithium-ion Batteries and Materials Preparation Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yuqian","middleName":"","lastName":"Gao","suffix":""},{"id":572799719,"identity":"1ab739b0-23ae-4925-8753-ace69c4c81f4","order_by":6,"name":"Jinlin Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Lithium-ion Batteries and Materials Preparation Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jinlin","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":572799720,"identity":"a09ad06a-054b-4d59-9b9b-ef98ed4369a2","order_by":7,"name":"Hongfu Gao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"State Key Laboratory of Ni\u0026Co Associated Minerals Resources Development and Comprehensive Utilization","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hongfu","middleName":"","lastName":"Gao","suffix":""},{"id":572799721,"identity":"d78d8ef4-d605-4733-bb8a-1bd7a44939c0","order_by":8,"name":"Yanan Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"State Key Laboratory of Ni\u0026Co Associated Minerals Resources Development and Comprehensive Utilization","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yanan","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":572799722,"identity":"92751673-288c-4f53-a1e9-fd9473612612","order_by":9,"name":"Xiaoyuan Zeng","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABCklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYNACAyj94QCEliBaC+MMoBYe4rRAATMPMVrk23sPv+YpsJMzuJH87LHNmcP29gzMB2/zMNjl4dLC2HMuzXKGQbKxwY00c+OcG4cTexjYkq15GJKLcbpFIsfM4IMBc+KGGwlm0jkfDifwMPCYSfMwHEhswKGFTf6NmUGCQT1QS/o3aYsPh+15GPi/4dXCI8Fj/OCDwWGglhwzaYYbhxl7GHjY8GqR4MkxY5xhcNxY8sybMsmeM+mJPYfZjC3nGCTj1CLffsb4M8+fajm+4+nbJH4cs7Znb29+eONNhR1OLSDvgGNB4QA8RECEAQ7FUCUfwNbhMXQUjIJRMApGOAAAPPBTLC32mhMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Lithium-ion Batteries and Materials Preparation Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xiaoyuan","middleName":"","lastName":"Zeng","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-12-25 01:38:14","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8445576/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8445576/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":100363637,"identity":"7389b8b4-31ad-415f-a91c-7a301d3ae054","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:50:51","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":3485837,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ManuscriptIonics.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/dd64246c2d73a2a223c8598b.docx"},{"id":100363610,"identity":"dbfe42a6-fc27-49eb-b669-8e547e79ac3a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:50:44","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":851478,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/906b375007fa4fcfde826ce7.png"},{"id":100363615,"identity":"3e522681-e9f8-4974-af69-27b786e7b0a9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:50:45","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":156561,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/f707b6f5713af0e545fccc15.png"},{"id":100363889,"identity":"09cdf186-4cdb-4005-bc40-a89f8bac5bdc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:51:59","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":867390,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/e8c4827bd78225efb2cc5809.png"},{"id":100365032,"identity":"6a83d0f2-3bf6-4f9f-8d72-97bf651a7206","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:54:36","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":121535,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/70761ebd35e2e5825fb8793a.png"},{"id":100074373,"identity":"a94c8a30-87f5-43ec-9d51-e5b8873a0e93","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-12 17:05:11","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":695586,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/4b6170a1e0b5b18e85912c48.png"},{"id":100363884,"identity":"2eceef96-54b7-49f5-bc76-34eb580e9adc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:51:59","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":92207,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/256f156d1cd6ceff500306b1.png"},{"id":100363911,"identity":"0136f176-f7bf-4289-925b-b41874728466","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:52:04","extension":"json","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":10432,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"5679a22439e6457c9ee67232dc1802b5.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/75e09db3924f4150b0f84865.json"},{"id":100363626,"identity":"1ccd8227-9bd4-4fe4-a80b-2bc3f0be0b3c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:50:48","extension":"doc","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":1161728,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"SupportingInformationIonics.doc","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/aad9dbe9d69c92a2b6e01dd0.doc"},{"id":100379794,"identity":"10b7f7fe-9087-4f5c-a3e1-4e9c1e06f9ef","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 09:32:40","extension":"xml","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":114795,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"5679a22439e6457c9ee67232dc1802b51enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/a843b778f1618da7e640bf18.xml"},{"id":100364071,"identity":"0679c54b-2fad-4509-8a45-7b5e9b3cf587","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:52:31","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":851478,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/17ae6411fb3ffbda39578e27.png"},{"id":100364429,"identity":"83872d6f-d31c-41f3-a6da-ea72bcc90b59","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:53:40","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":156561,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/8840a511a99d0203eea9f362.png"},{"id":100363916,"identity":"664933e1-0ba7-4b73-8ca7-6aef65fab42b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:52:04","extension":"png","order_by":12,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":867390,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/7393e16fe7ab9bc1d9f93747.png"},{"id":100074385,"identity":"f4886b02-3a1a-41ee-bf77-ffbb5aab0f20","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-12 17:05:12","extension":"png","order_by":13,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":121535,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/3c432c24076e4af76321baf3.png"},{"id":100364739,"identity":"1e12778d-dc57-453e-8ee9-bb1eef49a910","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:54:17","extension":"png","order_by":14,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":695586,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/294a457529c165c3f03a0d65.png"},{"id":100364695,"identity":"53d0c64e-6149-4506-b2cd-147f7109a916","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:54:10","extension":"png","order_by":15,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":92207,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/55047bcaff6dff1fa81107d2.png"},{"id":100364143,"identity":"da83e09e-13a2-4c03-871a-709c661364cf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:52:41","extension":"png","order_by":16,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":961601,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/93b081e7d440c903f851b0e9.png"},{"id":100074396,"identity":"d0295e7c-2420-479d-aad6-5a8bb2302393","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-12 17:05:12","extension":"png","order_by":17,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":641029,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/9126f02e88e58c935f63463e.png"},{"id":100364281,"identity":"8fde3180-fe2e-473c-8f35-42d191bb84a9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:53:12","extension":"png","order_by":18,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":156561,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/a76fd89c8004729421b6aa84.png"},{"id":100364447,"identity":"5a6af0f8-90d8-4a32-a7be-83b8b397b859","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:53:42","extension":"png","order_by":19,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":867390,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/0b4d99a8c23175e695c0c576.png"},{"id":100363642,"identity":"4e46305b-81b6-4cbb-a411-57c5eb02929d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:50:57","extension":"png","order_by":20,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":121535,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/86bde5c0445ab93f9fc5dc6d.png"},{"id":100074400,"identity":"4ac9f474-7611-4c52-9743-fee3f868140f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-12 17:05:13","extension":"png","order_by":21,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":606805,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/95456f7bf6a25c78ada08a83.png"},{"id":100364630,"identity":"be6a1e42-9e7f-4ce2-8a7e-f21d3716a27b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:54:03","extension":"png","order_by":22,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":92207,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Figure6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/cf92ffaf4754f11fbba5024c.png"},{"id":100074390,"identity":"611a72cf-996a-427f-8555-5f053fa050b8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-12 17:05:12","extension":"png","order_by":23,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":50727,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineFigure1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/1e30b64e18104898c62e9695.png"},{"id":100364115,"identity":"0ec94cb9-2f2d-46f8-9a19-bf11d7f83f23","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:52:37","extension":"png","order_by":24,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":29922,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineFigure2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/82cdbba392cb92ac12c3f62a.png"},{"id":100364810,"identity":"a80735b0-a4d9-4e51-af84-cfb55a774453","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:54:20","extension":"png","order_by":25,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":166332,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineFigure3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/9d105f9c06473419ab3d8eab.png"},{"id":100363939,"identity":"c50fd1ac-871d-4b61-aee7-3ff477303083","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:52:10","extension":"png","order_by":26,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":27620,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineFigure4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/ac4ecda03a754c840a4c406e.png"},{"id":100364751,"identity":"33a1fd2e-f409-4098-b8b8-50fce4d81515","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:54:17","extension":"png","order_by":27,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":189282,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineFigure5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/973324bd5954581d0f3d388d.png"},{"id":100364341,"identity":"b6a1481f-9600-4378-bd0c-412c763b4e7d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:53:28","extension":"png","order_by":28,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":27139,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineFigure6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/ba93a1740a8c4076bebb843b.png"},{"id":100074407,"identity":"fdccf31e-1ce1-4b02-91ce-934244a2c8b9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-12 17:05:13","extension":"png","order_by":29,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":82401,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/3863a64b2cca46dd7e02ebe5.png"},{"id":100364162,"identity":"1dfacd18-d5d5-4098-99b8-a0dca5cea47f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:52:43","extension":"png","order_by":30,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":48687,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/5b34873a4a7ca98b3310e34c.png"},{"id":100364366,"identity":"a3ef42b0-9480-4588-aacc-80e527936081","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:53:31","extension":"png","order_by":31,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":29922,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineFigure2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/9eb28aeee1e1eb5fe3af2646.png"},{"id":100074392,"identity":"4056065e-70b0-4d78-9e31-74594c2d6d76","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-12 17:05:12","extension":"png","order_by":32,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":166332,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/454a02a08cbb8fc7ae4b0559.png"},{"id":100074399,"identity":"fa2d59e0-e3ae-4473-9fbe-2656858206e9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-12 17:05:13","extension":"png","order_by":33,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":27620,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineFigure4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/a0e28404f3b6168820ebe64d.png"},{"id":100363619,"identity":"88473304-3f65-4df4-9819-870ebe8395a9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:50:46","extension":"png","order_by":34,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":105769,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/c575d01df746874db57331f9.png"},{"id":100364633,"identity":"835701ee-186f-4e47-b006-02950ec60c62","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:54:03","extension":"png","order_by":35,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":27139,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineFigure6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/547960493dbd09740183a492.png"},{"id":100364327,"identity":"7f9cdab5-cae3-4604-ac85-c035da3fb5ce","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:53:26","extension":"xml","order_by":36,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":114381,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"5679a22439e6457c9ee67232dc1802b51structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/977e740d40be08609f0cf7cc.xml"},{"id":100364778,"identity":"ea3c0785-73d2-4edd-aac1-51298b880bcc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:54:18","extension":"html","order_by":37,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":122025,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/51eb23c99dac4b144924a070.html"},{"id":100391652,"identity":"32f3819c-a387-4f2d-a5b2-c49e0a671211","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 11:25:29","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1025972,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ManuscriptIonics.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1_covered_d1e74f19-2220-45f0-b0cf-dbf4d4002512.pdf"},{"id":100364609,"identity":"3d64d66b-1f65-4b28-a43e-14e3c9a07adf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 07:54:00","extension":"doc","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":1161728,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"SupportingInformationIonics.doc","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8445576/v1/5eb8ca072fddea18296a0728.doc"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"One-Step Electrodeposition of Recycled Ni-Co Alloys from Spent Batteries: A Sustainable Route to High-Performance Water Oxidation Catalysts","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"ionics","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":" Learn more about [Ionics](https://www.springer.com/journal/11581) ","snPcode":"11581","submissionUrl":"https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ionics","title":"Ionics","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Spent Lithium-ion Batteries, Hydrometallurgical Recycling, Nickel-Cobalt Alloy, Electrodeposition, Water Electrolysis","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8445576/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8445576/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"The recovery and reuse of metals from electronic waste for catalyst preparation represents a promising strategy for addressing both energy crises and environmental pollution. In this study, nickel and cobalt were extracted from spent lithium-ion battery powder using a deep eutectic solvent, and the leachate was directly converted into an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst through electrodeposition without intermediate purification steps. The catalyst structure and electrochemical performance were systematically characterized. TEM/EDS confirmed the uniform distribution of nickel-cobalt alloy nanoparticles on carbon paper. Electrochemical measurements in 1 M potassium hydroxide electrolyte demonstrated that the optimized Ni5Co5(ox)(H2O)2/CP catalyst achieved overpotentials of 328 mV, 353 mV, and 375 mV at current densities of 10 mA cm⁻2, 20 mA cm⁻2, and 50 mA cm⁻2, respectively. The best-performing sample, Ni5Co5(ox)(H2O)2/CP-(-50)-30, exhibited catalytic activity approaching that of RuO2 on the same substrate (303 mV overpotential), indicating significant potential for water splitting applications. Furthermore, the catalyst maintained 97% of its initial current density after 80 hours of continuous OER operation, demonstrating excellent long-term stability.","manuscriptTitle":"One-Step Electrodeposition of Recycled Ni-Co Alloys from Spent Batteries: A Sustainable Route to High-Performance Water Oxidation Catalysts","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-12 17:05:06","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8445576/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-01-27T01:50:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-18T08:17:21+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-11T16:38:31+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"248727397426394496064909094798455157105","date":"2026-01-08T08:57:08+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"234737261742887435320176945148083114775","date":"2026-01-08T02:44:48+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"292947519911787055881773789429614344307","date":"2026-01-06T19:05:29+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-06T15:53:30+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-12-29T01:34:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-12-29T01:32:56+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Ionics","date":"2025-12-25T01:29:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"ionics","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":" Learn more about [Ionics](https://www.springer.com/journal/11581) ","snPcode":"11581","submissionUrl":"https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ionics","title":"Ionics","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e413858b-46fc-4461-9a48-0c3adb225950","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 12th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-14T04:38:35+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-12 17:05:06","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8445576","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8445576","identity":"rs-8445576","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}