January 30, 2015
Gummy binders! Our manuscript entitled "Millipede-inspired Structural Design Principles for High Performance Polysaccharide Binders in Silicon Anodes" is just accepted for publication in Energy & Environmental Science. Congratulations to You Kyeong and Taewoo and thanks to our collaborator Prof. Jang Wook Choi!
In this study, We systematically investigated polysaccharide binders for high capacity silicon anodes in lithium ion batteries to find critical factors for binder function. Analogous to the millipede’s strong adhesion based on adhesive pads located on each leg, xanthan gum exhibits the best performance by utilizing its double helical superstructure with side chains and ion-dipole interactions, revealing the great importance of the superstructure and charged interaction in the Si binder design.