To improve the lithium-ion battery performance and stability, a conducting polymer, which can simultaneously serve as both a conductive additive and a binder, is introduced into the anode. Water-soluble polyaniline:polystyrene sulfonate (PANI:PSS) can be successfully prepared through chemical oxidative polymerization, and their chemical/mechanical properties are adjusted by varying the molecular weight of PSS. As a conductive additive, the PANI with a conjugated double bond structure is introduced between active materials or between the active material and the current collector to provide fast and short electrical pathways. As a binder, the PSS prevents short circuits through strong π‒π stacking interaction with active material, and it exhibits superior adhesion to the current collector, thereby ensuring the maintenance of stable mechanical properties, even under high-speed charging/discharging conditions. Based on the synergistic effect of the intrinsic properties of PANI and PSS, it is confirmed that the anode with PANI:PSS introduced as a binder has about 1.8 times higher bonding strength (0.4 kgf/20 mm) compared to conventional binders. Moreover, since active materials can be additionally added in place of the generally added conductive additives, the total cell capacity increased by about 12.0%, and improved stability is shown with a capacity retention rate of 99.3% even after 200 cycles at a current rate of 0.2 C.

A study on molecular weight controlled conducting polymer-based binder for high-performance lithium-ion battery anodes
    Abstract
    1 Introduction
    2 Experimental
        2.1 Materials
        2.2 Fabrication of PANI:PSS
        2.3 Fabrication of anode half cell using PANI:PSS binder
        2.4 Characterizations
    3 Results and discussion
        3.1 Preparation of PANI:PSS
        3.2 Fabrication of LIBs anode using PANI:PSS binder
        3.3 Electrochemical performance of half cell using PANI:PSS binder
    4 Conclusion
    Acknowledgements 
    References

• Dong Seok Kim(Department of Carbon Convergence Engineering, Wonkwang University, 460 Iksan‑daero, Iksan 54538, Republic of Korea, Center for C1 Gas & Carbon Convergent Research, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong‑ro, Yuseong‑gu, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea)
• Sung Hyun Kim(Department of Carbon Convergence Engineering, Wonkwang University, 460 Iksan‑daero, Iksan 54538, Republic of Korea)
• Jin‑Yong Hong(Center for C1 Gas & Carbon Convergent Research, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, 141 Gajeong‑ro, Yuseong‑gu, Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea , Advanced Materials and Chemical Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong‑ro, Yuseong‑gu, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea) Corresponding author