The Role of Critical Raw Materials for Novel Strategies in Sustainable Secondary Batteries

Abstract

Energy storage technology is destined to play a central role to pave the way for a sustainable society. Although lithium‐based technology has covered the majority of energy storage necessities until now, the development of safe, clean, and recyclable technology to future transport sector, breakthroughs in materials and methods involving sustainable resources are crucial. In addition, materials, synthetic processes and final devices should be properly selected to contribute to the development of a sustainable ecosystem as well as fulfill the demands of high energy density batteries. Currently, tremendous research efforts are focused on new battery chemistries based on postlithium technology, as solid‐state, metal–sulfur, and metal–air batteries, which present many advantages as well as challenges. Therefore, new strategies to reduce the impact of critical raw materials used in lithium technology together with novel methods to recuperate need to be developed to obtain full sustainability. In this context, the present review discusses the current electrochemical energy storage, as well as raw materials, and the technical challenges involved. In addition, it provides a perspective on strategies and opportunities and the most important difficulties to overcome for a sustainable electrochemical energy storage.