Polymeric chemistry design for battery electrode binders

Abstract

Polymer binders are essential for battery electrode stability, ensuring adhesion and cohesion, facilitating active material dispersion, and providing mechanical resilience against cycling-induced stresses. However, conventional binders such as poly(vinylidene fluoride) and carboxymethyl cellulose/styrene-butadiene rubber, which are widely used in lithium-ion battery electrodes, struggle to meet these functional requirements, particularly in high-capacity and high-voltage electrodes. These limitations affect electrochemical performance, cycle life, and manufacturability, necessitating a new paradigm in battery design. Recent advances in polymer chemistry and molecular engineering have enabled the development of functional binders that offer improved mechanical properties, interfacial stability, and electrochemical compatibility. This review comprehensively examines binder design approaches, emphasizing quantitative structure–property relationships to provide a predictive framework for rational binder engineering. Key focus areas include adhesion and cohesion, dispersion stability, mechanical strength, and electrochemical stability, alongside emerging functionalities such as ionic/electrical conductivity, electrolyte compatibility, and flame retardance. By integrating multi-scale engineering approaches with case studies on silicon anodes, nickel-rich cathodes, dry-processed electrodes, and emerging electrodes, this review presents a strategic roadmap for the innovation of next-generation binder. The insights presented herein offer a scientifically grounded, application-driven framework for the development of scalable, high-performance, and sustainable binder technologies that will shape the future of advanced battery materials.