The Polymer Binders for the Electrodes of Lithium Batteries Part 2. Synthetic and Natural Polymers
The second part of the review describes the prospects of using alternative polymer binders for composite electrodes of lithium electrochemical systems. Possible options having been taken into account, the most popular commercially-available synthetic polymers with functional group (the ones forming aqueous solutions or dispersions predominantly) and water-soluble polymers of natural origin are considered. The versatility of such materials is their distinctive feature. The availability of salt forms for natural and synthetic polymers, many of which are polyelectrolytes, makes it possible to significantly affect the ion transfer in the composite electrode mass, reducing the polarization of the electrodes and improving the power characteristics of batteries. The ability to form “artificial SEI” and / or form a three-dimensional network with self-healing cross-links between macromolecules allows long-term safe cycling, the latter being especially important for active materials with very large volume changes during lithium intercalation / deintercalation (e.g. silicon).