Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIB) play a key role in the energy transition towards clean energy, powering electric vehicles, storing energy on renewable grids, and helping to cut emissions from transportation and energy sectors. Lithium (Li) demand is estimated to increase considerably in the near future, due to the growing need for clean-energy technologies. The corollary is that consumer expectations will also grow in terms of guarantees on the origin of Li and the efforts made to reduce the environmental and social impact potentially associated with its extraction. Today, the LIB-industry supply chain is very complex, making it difficult for end users to ensure that Li comes from environmentally and responsible sources. Using an innovative geochemical approach based on the analysis of Li isotopes of raw and processed materials, we show that Li isotope ‘fingerprints’ are a useful tool for determining the origin of lithium in LIB. This sets the stage for a new method ensuring the certification of Li in LIB.

可充电锂离子电池 (LIB) 在向清洁能源的能源转型、为电动汽车提供动力、在可再生电网上储存能源以及帮助减少交通和能源部门的排放方面发挥着关键作用。由于对清洁能源技术的需求不断增长，锂 (Li) 需求预计在不久的将来会大幅增加。推论是，消费者对锂来源的保证以及为减少可能与其提取相关的环境和社会影响所做的努力也会提高。如今，锂电池行业的供应链非常复杂，最终用户很难确保锂电池来自环保和负责任的来源。使用基于原材料和加工材料的锂同位素分析的创新地球化学方法，我们表明，Li 同位素“指纹”是确定 LIB 中锂来源的有用工具。这为确保锂在 LIB 中的认证的新方法奠定了基础。