Purdue professor publishes lithium-ion battery sustainability viewpoint in ACS Energy Letters
With electric vehicle (EV) sales projected to reach 38 million annually by 2030, the global race to decarbonize transportation has intensified. But behind the promise of cleaner mobility lies a complex challenge: how to build sustainable batteries without exacerbating environmental degradation or human rights concerns.
Vilas Pol, professor in Purdue's Davidson School of Chemical Engineering and head of the Vilas Pol Energy Research (ViPER) group, is addressing both the ethical and technical dimensions of this challenge. His recent viewpoint, published in ACS Energy Letters, a high-impact journal in the field of energy research, outlines a roadmap for reducing the environmental and social impact of lithium-ion battery (LIB) production.
The materials crisis behind the battery boom
The viewpoint identifies that lithium-ion batteries rely on a set of seven critical materials, including lithium, cobalt and nickel. According to Pol's research, producing a single EV battery requires 130 to 160 kilograms of these materials, many of which are extracted under conditions that strain ecosystems or violate labor standards.
For instance, over 70% of the world's cobalt supply originates from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where mining operations have been linked to child labor and unsafe working conditions. Lithium mining from South American salt flats consumes vast quantities of water, threatening Indigenous communities already facing resource scarcity. And nickel production in Indonesia and the Philippines contributes to deforestation and water contamination.
"The most urgent challenge is ensuring the sustainable and ethical sourcing of these materials," Pol explained. "Without changes in how we extract and recycle them, we risk swapping transportation-related emissions for environmental destruction at the source, such as deforestation, contaminated water, degraded soil and the exploitation of vulnerable communities."
From extraction to innovation: building a circular battery economy
To counter these risks, Pol's viewpoint highlights a range of promising strategies. Chief among them are circular economy approaches that reduce the need for virgin materials.
One such technique is flash Joule heating, a rapid, high-temperature process that enables efficient separation and recovery of battery metals. Other advances include direct recycling methods that preserve battery structure, cutting energy use by up to 70% compared to traditional approaches, and significantly lowering emissions.
Pol also points to the development of alternative chemistries, including lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries and sodium-ion batteries, which eliminate or reduce reliance on cobalt and nickel. His lab has developed scalable carbon anodes and sodium powder technologies aimed at improving the viability of sodium-ion batteries.
"These innovations help minimize dependence on scarce and ethically problematic materials," Pol noted. "They also open the door to more affordable and environmentally responsible batteries and United States has possibility to succeed."
A world record in battery performance
While sustainability is a driving priority, Pol's team is equally focused on technical performance, particularly in real-world extreme climate environments. In 2022, the Vilas Pol Energy Research (ViPER) group at Purdue achieved the Guinness World Records title for the "lowest temperature to charge a lithium-ion battery" by successfully charging and discharging lithium-ion batteries at -100°C.
The breakthrough demonstrated the battery’s ability to function in extreme cold conditions without relying on external heating systems, a key step toward enabling energy storage in remote and extreme environments. Traditional lithium-ion batteries lose functionality in extreme cold conditions, making them less reliable for use in remote or off-grid environments. Pol's design eliminated the need for bulky external heating systems, which are typically used in space or polar applications.
"Our solution could support energy storage in places where it was previously impossible, from lunar missions to Arctic sensors," Pol said. "Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon was powered by Purdue engineers. It’s inspiring to think that future missions might one day be powered by batteries built in our lab.”
The team also created a custom battery testing chamber to simulate extreme cold conditions. Students play a central role in the ViPER group by driving hands-on experimentation and interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing fresh perspectives that foster innovation, expand the group’s research impact, and shape the future of sustainable energy storage.
Purdue's role in shaping the battery future
Pol’s viewpoint in ACS Energy Letters offers a comprehensive roadmap for industry, policymakers and researchers working toward more environmentally friendly energy storage technologies. The piece lays out both the urgency of rethinking battery production and practical strategies for doing so, from ethical sourcing and recycling to new chemistries and performance advances.
These accomplishments reflect a broader vision: advancing battery systems that are both high-performing and responsible. "At Purdue, we’re bridging groundbreaking innovation with environmentally conscious design," said Pol. "It’s not enough for a battery to work well, it has to work well for the planet, too."
Looking ahead, Pol sees Purdue playing a leading role in the development of safer, scalable battery technologies. “We’re not just building batteries, we’re building pathways to a more resilient, equitable energy future,” he said. ViPER’s research continues to explore next-generation materials, improved thermal safety, and circular design principles that could influence both policy and industry.
Learn more about Vilas Pol and the ViPER group.