Production of lithium via electrodeposition

1. A method of producing lithium comprising:

applying a current to an electrolytic cell comprising a cell having a cathode associated with a catholyte and an anode associated with a lithium cation-containing anolyte, the lithium cation-containing anolyte and catholyte being separated by an ion-permeable membrane having a plurality of inorganic particles disposed within a polymeric matrix and having lithium ions bound thereto via electrostatic forces forming a plurality of ion-conducting particles, the plurality of ion-conducting particles forming ion conducting channels in the polymeric matrix, whereby the;

inducing an oxidation of the lithium cation-containing anolyte at the anode;

flowing electrons from the anode to the cathode;

reducing lithium cations at the cathode;

depositing lithium metal on the cathode; and

flowing lithium ions through the ion-conducting particles channels from the lithium cation-containing anolyte to the catholyte.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein flowing the electrons from the anode to the cathode comprises flowing the electrons through a galvanostat electrically positioned between the cathode and anode.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising circulating lithium cation-containing anolyte from an anolyte reservoir into the cell.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising circulating catholyte from a catholyte reservoir into the cell.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing of the lithium metal comprises the formation of lithium metal nanorods.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the lithium metal nanorods have a diameter of 250 to 350 nm and a length of up to 60 μm.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the lithium metal nanorods are dendrite-free.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the deposited lithium metal.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a metallic foil and further comprising removing a lithium-coated metallic foil from the cell.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the lithium cations at the cathode and depositing lithium metal are at a temperature of 15 to 40° C.