Due to the technology advancement and the large-scale application of lithium-ion batteries in recent years, the market demand for lithium is growing rapidly and the availability of land lithium resources is decreasing significantly. As such, the focus of lithium extraction technologies has shifted to water lithium resources involving salt-lake brines and sea water. Among various aqueous recovery technologies, the lithium ion-sieve (LIS) technology is considered the most promising one. This is because LISs are excellent adsorbents with high lithium uptake capacity, superior lithium selectivity and good cycle performance. These attributes have enabled LISs to separate lithium effectively from aqueous solutions containing different ions. The present work reviews the latest development in LIS technology, including the chemical structures of ion-sieves, the corresponding lithium adsorption desorption mechanisms, the ion-sieves preparation methods, and the challenges associated with the lithium recovery from aqueous solutions by the LIS batteries. Besides, some common LIS composite materials forming technologies, including granulation, foaming, membrane and fiber formation, and magnetization, which are used to overcome the shortcomings in industrial column operations, are also explored. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.