Abstract
Silicon/carbon composite anode that combines high capacity and cycling stability has been successfully commercialized in lithium-ion battery (LIB) industry. Compared with the massive efforts devoted to optimizing the anode material structure or the electrolyte, less attention has been paid to the devel-opment of functional binders and their interaction with silicon/carbon material. As an essential component in the electrode, binders are expected to accommodate the repeated volume change of Si/C anode and maintain the electrode integrity as well as construct efficient electron/ion conductive network. In this review, recent advances in the functional polymers for silicon/carbon composite anode have been summarized from the perspective of intermolecular chemistry. The relationships between representative structure units (i.e. functional groups and chain structures) and performance of binders in Si/C anodes are discussed and we hope provide a fundamental perspective on performance optimization of Si/C anodes.(c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.