Scientists Were Cleaning Dirty Water – Then They Accidentally Solved a Fusion Energy Problem

In a serendipitous breakthrough, scientists have discovered a mercury-free method to isolate lithium-6, a critical component of nuclear fusion fuel. The discovery emerged unexpectedly during research on water purification, offering a promising solution to a long-standing challenge in the quest for clean energy. The findings, published on March 20 in the journal Chem by Cell Press¹, could pave the way for safer, more sustainable nuclear fusion energy.

A Mercury-Free Path to Lithium-6

Lithium-6 is a vital ingredient for producing tritium, the fuel used in nuclear fusion reactors. However, isolating lithium-6 from its far more abundant counterpart, lithium-7, has traditionally required the use of liquid mercury—a highly toxic substance. The conventional method, known as the COLEX process, was banned in the U.S. in 1963 due to environmental and health risks. Since then, the U.S. has relied on a dwindling stockpile of lithium-6 maintained at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee².

The new method, developed by a team of researchers led by chemist Sarbajit Banerjee of ETH Zürich and Texas A&M University³, uses a lab-synthesized material called zeta-vanadium oxide (ζ-V2O5) to selectively trap lithium-6 ions. This approach eliminates the need for mercury and has demonstrated impressive enrichment results in laboratory tests.

“This is a step towards addressing a major roadblock to nuclear energy,” says Banerjee. “Lithium-6 is a critical material for the renaissance of nuclear energy, and this method could represent a viable approach to isotope separation.”

An Accidental Discovery

The breakthrough came about unexpectedly while the researchers were developing filtration membranes to clean “produced water,” a type of wastewater generated during oil and gas drilling. They noticed that the membranes were capturing unusually high amounts of lithium, sparking curiosity about the material’s potential for isotope separation.

“We saw that we could extract lithium quite selectively, even though there was a lot more salt than lithium present in the water,” Banerjee explains. “That led us to wonder whether this material might also have some selectivity for the lithium-6 isotope.”

The team’s investigation revealed that zeta-vanadium oxide, a material known for its unique one-dimensional tunnel-like structure, could preferentially capture lithium-6 ions. When an aqueous solution containing lithium ions was pumped through an electrochemical cell with a zeta-V2O5 cathode, the lighter lithium-6 ions formed stronger bonds with the material, while the heavier lithium-7 ions escaped capture.

How It Works

The selectivity of zeta-V2O5 is rooted in the differing behaviors of lithium-6 and lithium-7 ions. “Lithium-6 ions stick a lot stronger to the tunnels, which is the mechanism of selectivity,” says co-first author Andrew Ezazi of Texas A&M. “If you think of the bonds between V2O5 and lithium as a spring, lithium-7 is heavier and more likely to break that bond, whereas lithium-6, because it’s lighter, reverberates less and makes a tighter bond.”

As lithium ions integrate into the zeta-V2O5 structure, the compound changes color from bright yellow to dark olive green, providing a visual indicator of the enrichment process. In lab tests, a single electrochemical cycle enriched lithium-6 by 5.7%. To achieve fusion-grade lithium, which requires a minimum of 30% lithium-6, the process can be repeated multiple times, with 90% enrichment achievable in about 45 cycles.

A Safer, Scalable Solution

The new method offers a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative to the COLEX process, with comparable efficiency. “This level of enrichment is very competitive with the COLEX process, without the mercury,” says Banerjee.

While the process is not yet ready for industrial production, the researchers are optimistic about its potential. “Of course, we’re not doing industrial production yet, and there are some engineering problems to overcome in terms of how to design the flow loop,” Banerjee notes. “But within a bunch of flow cycles, you can get fusion-grade lithium for quite cheap.”

Broader Implications

The discovery also opens the door to other applications, such as separating radioactive isotopes from non-radioactive ones. The team is now focused on scaling up the process to industrial levels, with the hope of advancing nuclear fusion as a viable clean energy source.

“I think there’s a lot of interest in nuclear fusion as the ultimate solution for clean energy,” says Banerjee. “We’re hoping to get some support to build this into a practicable solution.”

The research was supported by several organizations, including the National Science Foundation, Texas A&M, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and the Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation Council. With further development, this accidental discovery could play a pivotal role in powering the future of clean energy.

---

Possible References Used

---