The sustainable recovery of spent lead paste (SLP) from lead-acid batteries has traditionally focused on metallurgical lead regeneration, often overlooking its potential for high-value optoelectronic and nanoelectronic materials. This review re-evaluates SLP recycling through the lens of nanotechnology and device engineering. We systematically analyze pretreatment strategies (liquid-phase leaching and solid-to-solid conversion) and subsequent synthesis pathways that yield not only metallic lead and battery-grade compounds but also advanced functional materials such as lead halide perovskites, PbS quantum dots, lead-based aerogels, and piezoelectric ceramics. Emphasis is placed on how processing parameters, such as precursor purity, calcination atmosphere, and crystallization conditions, influence the nanoscale morphology, crystal phase, and optoelectronic performance of recycled products. Key findings include the successful fabrication of perovskite solar cells (PCE up to 20.45%), PbS quantum dot photodetectors (EQE 49.6%), and Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 piezoelectrics (d 33 ~270 pC N −1 ) from SLP-derived precursors. By bridging waste recycling and functional nanomaterials, this review provides a roadmap for integrating secondary lead resources into the circular economy of nanoelectronics and optoelectronics, addressing both environmental sustainability and material innovation.
Wu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.