Interpenetrated Gel Polymer Binder for High‐Performance Silicon Anodes in Lithium‐ion Batteries

Silicon has attracted ever‐increasing attention as a high‐capacity anode material in Li‐ion batteries owing to its extremely high theoretical capacity. However, practical application of silicon anodes is seriously hindered by its fast capacity fading as a result of huge volume changes during the charge/discharge process. Here, an interpenetrated gel polymer binder for high‐performance silicon anodes is created through in‐situ crosslinking of water‐soluble poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) precursors. This gel polymer binder with deformable polymer network and strong adhesion on silicon particles can effectively accommodate the large volume change of silicon anodes upon…