High capacity electrode material has been studied over the years due to the constant demand for high energy density applications in li ion batteries. Among others, silicon has been considered a more promising candidate for its high theoretical capacity of ~ 3600 mAh/g, abundant resources, low cost and low toxicity. However, silicon-based electrodes face rapid degradation due to the extensive volume variation (~300%) in the charge discharge process. Binders used in the electrode fabrication plays a crucial role in these high-performance electrodes since it can reduce the mechanical fracture in the cycling process.

Utilization of polymeric material as binders to hold the active material has been the most common approach used in the li ion battery electrode preparation. Recent studies have shown the use of small molecular carboxylic acids as binders which showed an improvement in the cell performance for silicon electrodes. We will review various non-polymeric binder for silicon electrodes. Many of these alternative binders afford electrode preparation in water which reduces the introduction of toxic organic solvents such as NMP to the environment. The novel non-polymeric binders have better performance compared to PVDF. Surface morphology and Solid electrolyte interface was analyzed using electron microscopy techniques and spectroscopic methods and the results will be discussed.