Lithium metal batteries from circular, green supply chains

Abstract: Led by the green chemistry principles of waste prevention, design for energy efficiency, and use of renewable feedstocks, Pure Lithium has invented the first commercially viable Lithium metal (Li-M) battery. The Li-M anode offers 10x the maximum theoretical energy density of the conventional lithium-ion anode. Lithium is naturally found in hard rock deposits or brines. Brine extraction is cleaner than mining and takes place primarily in the South American lithium triangle. The precursor compounds are transported to Asia for refinement into battery-grade materials, relying on extreme conditions and toxic reagents. The resulting material is not pure or uniform enough to economically commercialize Li-M batteries. Pure Lithium solves these technological and sustainability barriers by innovating from cradle to grave. The company has demonstrated lithium extraction from industrial waste and real-world low-grade brines across four continents. This enables localized supply chains and recycling viability. Downstream, Pure Lithium’s Brine to Battery™ process enables one-step extraction / anode fabrication, eliminating the need for precursor compounds, massively improving efficiency and reducing waste. The company has already demonstrated competitive battery performance using in-house Li-M. This technology was first invented in 2020 by Founder Emilie Bodoin, and her now granted patents serve as the foundational IP for the company. On the cathode-side, Pure Lithium holds a joint patent with Nobel Laureat Sir Professor M. Stanley Whittingham pairing our Li-M anode with a vanadium cathode. The vanadium cathodes eliminate the need for cobalt, nickel, and lithium precursors, while demonstrating better thermal stability than nickel-based cathodes. Pure Lithium has owned or licensed all forms of vanadium suitable to use in lithium metal batteries. Spanning the value chain, Pure Lithium holds over 130 granted or pending patent applications from cradle to grave. The first Pure Lithium lab was established in 2021 in Boston, MA. By 2025, the company met its R&D milestones and relocated to Chicago, IL to launch a pilot manufacturing facility. Pure Lithium has been awarded the 2024 World Materials Forum Coup de Coeur Start Up Award; 2025 Reuters Global Energy Transition Prize for R&D; and a 2025 ACS Green Chemistry Award. Bodoin has been named the 2025 Fastmarkets Trailblazing Woman of the Year and Chicago Business Journal’s 10 people to watch in Chicago Business 2026.