Conventional Anode Research Articles

Exploring the potential of T-Graphene-like BC2N monolayer as an anode material for Na/K-Ion batteries

We conducted a thorough analysis to assess the suitability of a T-graphene-like BC2N monolayer as an electrode material for sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) using first-principles calculations. Our investigation demonstrates the chemical adsorption of Na/K atoms onto the BC2N monolayer, which exhibits metallic properties after Na/K adsorption, ensuring excellent electrode conductivity. The average open-circuit voltages for Na and K are 0.39–0.12 V and 0.87–0.14 V, respectively. Furthermore, the BC2N monolayer revealed significantly lower Na/K diffusion barriers (0.40 eV for Na and 0.22 eV for K) and higher storage capacities (1647 mAh g−1 for Na and 2196 mAh g−1 for K) compared to conventional two-dimensional anode materials. These exceptional characteristics highlight the promising potential of the T-graphene-like BC2N monolayer in advancing Na/K-ion batteries technology.

Unlocking Reversible Silicon Redox for High-Performing Chlorine Batteries.

Chlorine (Cl)-based batteries such as Li/Cl2 batteries are recognized as promising candidates for energy storage with low cost and high performance. However, the current use of Li metal anodes in Cl-based batteries has raised serious concerns regarding safety, cost, and production complexity. More importantly, the well-documented parasitic reactions between Li metal and Cl-based electrolytes require a large excess of Li metal, which inevitably sacrifices the electrochemical performance of the full cell. Therefore, it is crucial but challenging to establish new anode chemistry, particularly with electrochemical reversibility, for Cl-based batteries. Here we show, for the first time, reversible Si redox in Cl-based batteries through efficient electrolyte dilution and anode/electrolyte interface passivation using 1,2-dichloroethane and cyclized polyacrylonitrile as key mediators. Our Si anode chemistry enables significantly increased cycling stability and shelf lives compared with conventional Li metal anodes. It also avoids the use of a large excess of anode materials, thus enabling the first rechargeable Cl2 full battery with remarkable energy and power densities of 809 Wh kg-1 and 4,277 W kg-1 , respectively. The Si anode chemistry affords fast kinetics with remarkable rate capability and low-temperature electrochemical performance, indicating its great potential in practical applications.

Effect of pulse current on surface properties of aluminum oxide coating containing graphite

Anodizing is widely used as a surface treatment for aluminum alloy to improve its surface properties by increasing the thickness of the oxide layer. Generally, conventional anodizing by direct current (DC) produced high porosity and micro‐cracks. Utilizing pulse current (PC) as a power source and graphite particles as reinforcement for the oxide layer may solve these problems. Therefore, the present work aims to study the effect of the combination approaches on coating growth and the surface characteristics of the oxide coating. The graphite‐incorporated composite oxide coating on the AA2017‐T4 Al alloy was developed by DC and PC hard anodizing process. The surface morphology, topography, chemical composition, and surface hardness were evaluated. In PC anodizing, the growth rate of oxide layer was slower (0.59 μm/min) than DC anodizing (1.08 μm/min). The surface pores start to develop at the 30th minute compared to DC, which is the 20th minute. At 60 min, the formation of porous composite oxide coating is complete with pore dimension (width: 46.74 ± 19.96 μm and depth: 7.11 ± 2.57 μm) and thickness of 35.20 ± 8.90 μm for PC, whereas for DC pore dimension (width: 81.03 ± 21.60 μm and depth: 17.16 ± 4.31 μm) and thickness of 64.80 ± 23.69 μm. Surface roughness and hardness of composite oxide coating by PC were measured at about 1.90 ± 0.04 μm and 379.10 ± 4.37 HV, respectively. Meanwhile, the DC reveals a significant increase in roughness (4.28 ± 0.25 μm) and a decrease in hardness (302.75 ± 1.09 HV). The introduction of graphite particles with PC anodizing reduces the surface porosity, microcracks and enhances the surface hardness of oxide coating.

Toward Sustainable Metal‐Iodine Batteries: Materials, Electrochemistry and Design Strategies

AbstractDue to the natural abundance of iodine, cost‐effective, and sustainability, metal‐iodine batteries are competitive for the next‐generation energy storage systems with high energy density, and large power density. However, the inherent properties of iodine such as electronic insulation and shuttle behavior of soluble iodine species affect negatively rate performance, cyclability, and self‐discharge behavior of metal‐iodine batteries, while the dendrite growth and metal corrosion on the anode side brings potential safety hazards and inferior durability. These problems of metal‐iodine system still exist and need to be solved urgently. Herein, we summarize the research progress of metal‐iodine batteries in the past decades. Firstly, the classification, design strategy and reaction mechanism of iodine electrode are briefly outlined. Secondly, the current development and protection strategy of conventional metal anodes in metal‐iodine batteries are highlighted, and some potential anode materials and their design strategies are proposed. Thirdly, the key electrochemical parameters of state‐of‐art metal‐iodine batteries are compared and analyzed to solve critical issues for realizing next‐generation iodine‐based energy storage systems. Therefore, the aim of this review is to promote the development of metal‐iodine batteries and provide guidelines for their design.

Toward Sustainable Metal-Iodine Batteries: Materials, Electrochemistry and Design Strategies.

Due to the natural abundance of iodine, cost-effective, and sustainability, metal-iodine batteries are competitive for the next-generation energy storage systems with high energy density, and large power density. However, the inherent properties of iodine such as electronic insulation and shuttle behavior of soluble iodine species affect negatively rate performance, cyclability, and self-discharge behavior of metal-iodine batteries, while the dendrite growth and metal corrosion on the anode side brings potential safety hazards and inferior durability. These problems of metal-iodine system still exist and need to be solved urgently. Herein, we summarize the research progress of metal-iodine batteries in the past decades. Firstly, the classification, design strategy and reaction mechanism of iodine electrode are briefly outlined. Secondly, the current development and protection strategy of conventional metal anodes in metal-iodine batteries are highlighted, and some potential anode materials and their design strategies are proposed. Thirdly, the key electrochemical parameters of state-of-art metal-iodine batteries are compared and analyzed to solve critical issues for realizing next-generation iodine-based energy storage systems. Therefore, the aim of this review is to promote the development of metal-iodine batteries and provide guidelines for their design.

Enhancing the Cycle Life of Lithium‐Anode‐Free Batteries through Polydopamine‐Coated Substrates

Anode‐free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs) show promise as a means of further enhancing the energy density of current lithium‐ion batteries, as they do not require conventional graphite anodes. The anode‐free configuration, however, suffers from inferior chemical stability of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer and experiences inhomogeneous lithium deposition during charge/discharge processes, resulting in rapid capacity fading. To address these issues, a carbonized polydopamine (CPD) coating is applied to the copper current collector. The CPD‐coated copper current collector promotes highly efficient and reversible lithium plating and stripping processes, resulting in a densely packed lithium deposition that significantly improves cycling stability. The anode‐free full cell, consisting of CPD‐coated copper current collector and a LiFePO4 cathode, demonstrates significantly improved electrochemical performance, with a capacity retention of more than 63% after 100 cycles at a current rate of 0.3C. The stability of the SEI layer and the presence of lithiophilic sites are verified through a range of techniques, including optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Based on these collective findings, it can be inferred that the use of CPD coating provides a simple way to enhance the electrochemical performance of AFLMBs.

ZnO‐Embedded Expanded Graphite Composite Anodes with Controlled Charge Storage Mechanism Enabling Operation of Lithium‐Ion Batteries at Ultra‐Low Temperatures

As lithium (Li)‐ion batteries expand their applications, operating over a wide temperature range becomes increasingly important. However, the low‐temperature performance of conventional graphite anodes is severely hampered by the poor diffusion kinetics of Li ions (Li+). Here, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are incorporated into the expanded graphite to improve Li+ diffusion kinetics, resulting in a significant improvement in low‐temperature performance. The ZnO–embedded expanded graphite anodes are investigated with different amounts of ZnO to establish the structure‐charge storage mechanism‐performance relationship with a focus on low‐temperature applications. Electrochemical analysis reveals that the ZnO–embedded expanded graphite anode with nano‐sized ZnO maintains a large portion of the diffusion‐controlled charge storage mechanism at an ultra‐low temperature of −50 °C. Due to this significantly enhanced Li+ diffusion rate, a full cell with the ZnO–embedded expanded graphite anode and a LiNi0.88Co0.09Al0.03O2 cathode delivers high capacities of 176 mAh g−1 at 20 °C and 86 mAh g−1 at −50 °C at a high rate of 1 C. The outstanding low‐temperature performance of the composite anode by improving the Li+ diffusion kinetics provides important scientific insights into the fundamental design principles of anodes for low‐temperature Li‐ion battery operation.

Rapid synthesis of large-area and integrated anode current collector via electroless in-situ Sn modification strategy for lithium metal batteries

Lithium metal anode has excellent theoretical capacity which promises to break the energy density bottleneck caused by the low capacity of the conventional graphite anode. However, multi-challenges associated with pure lithium anodes are slowing down the practical application of lithium metal batteries. The development of high-performance current collector (CC) is one of the effective ways to respond. Here, a rapid electroless in-situ Sn modification process is utilized to produce high-performance, large-area (>1200 cm2), ultra-thin (<12 μm), structurally and functionally integrated anode CCs for lithium metal batteries. The lithium affinity of the bare Cu CC is significantly enhanced by a simple soaking treatment for only 3–10 min. The enhancement mechanism based on Li7Sn2 is clarified by the first-principles calculations combined with electrochemical analysis. The best RSN05 CC exhibits impressive Li plating/stripping performance and good adaptability to the major commercialized cathodes (LFP, NCM(811), LCO). Moreover, the enhancement in pouch batteries is preliminarily validated, illustrating the prospects of the RSN05 CC for further applications. The electroless Sn modification process and the RSN05 CC in this work promise to facilitate the continuous production of high-performance anode CCs and accelerate the practical application of lithium metal batteries.

Topology-enhanced mechanical stability of swelling nanoporous electrodes

Materials like silicon and germanium offer a 10-fold improvement in charge capacity over conventional graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries but experience a roughly threefold volume increase during lithiation, which challenges ensuring battery integrity. Nanoporous silicon, created by liquid-metal-dealloying, is a potentially attractive anode design to mitigate this challenge, exhibiting both higher capacity and extended cycle lifetimes. However, how nanoporous structures accommodate the large volume change is unknown. Here, we address this question by using phase-field modeling to produce nanoporous particles and to investigate their elastoplastic swelling behavior and fracture. Our simulations show that enhanced mechanical stability results from the network topology consisting of ligaments connected by bulbous, sphere-like nodes. The ligaments forcefully resist elongation while the nodes, behaving like isolated spherical particles, experience large stresses driving fracture. However, being smaller compared to a sphere of the same volume as the entire nanoporous particle, the nodes are more protected against fracture.

Quantum dot-derived carbon nanopocket-confined Co3O4 within mesoporous carbon nanofiber for Cu-free anode of flexible Li-ion batteries

Cu-free flexible anodes, which are promising alternatives to the conventional anode type, have received global attention owing to their advantages, such as flexible deformability and elimination of interfacial trouble between active materials and current collector. However, these Cu-free anodes suffer from low specific capacitance and poor mechanical properties. To overcome these issues, we introduced carbon quantum dots (CQDs) as inner structure modification agents and Co3O4 nanoparticles within a mesoporous carbon nanofibers (CNF). Herein, we report a novel strategy for developing highly flexible Cu-free anode using the mesoporous CNF structure together with quantum dot-induced carbon nanopocket effect. During the carbonization process, the surface functional groups of the CQDs decomposed, which led to the formation of a carbon nanopocket. This carbon nanopocket effectively suppressed the particle growth of cobalt oxide. Moreover, mesoporous surface morphology was successfully developed using a post-oxidation process. The resultant Co3O4/CQD-PCNF flexible anode showed superior anode performances, including the high specific capacity of 783.43 and 227.59 mAh/g at a current density of 100 and 2,000 mA/g, respectively, with an excellent high-rate capability of 79.6% after 1,000 cycles of intense flexible test. Therefore, the Co3O4/CQD-PCNF Cu-free anode can provide a new direction to electrode modification strategies for achieving free-standing anode for highly flexible Li-ion batteries.

Si@C Core–Shell Nanostructure-Based Anode for Li-Ion Transport

Silicon-based anode materials are gaining popularity in lithium-ion battery research due to their high theoretical specific capacity compared to the conventional graphite anode. However, the commercialization of silicon-based anode materials has been hampered by their limited electronic conductivity and significant volume expansion. To address these challenges, our strategy was conducted to prepare porous silicon@carbon (p-Si@C) nanocomposites as an anode material using a simple aqueous solution method. In this work, nitrogen-containing p-phenylenediamine was chosen as the carbon source for synthesizing the nanostructured p-Si@C composites. The excellent electrochemical performance can be achieved, with over 100 cycles, a specific capacity of 624 mAh g–1, and a high Coulombic efficiency of 97.2%. These promising results were attributed to efficient Li-ion transport and low volume expansion, which are confirmed by the distribution function of relaxation time plots coupled with impedance spectroscopy technique, followed by the calculation of the expansion rate obtained from the SEM cross-sectional image. Hence, our work not only clearly provides a simple yet valuable method for the preparation of nanostructured silicon-based anode material with good electrochemical performance but also demonstrates its potential for industrial battery-grade development.

Exsolved Nanoparticles Decorated Double Perovskites as High-Performance Anodes for Direct-Ammonia Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Due to the high energy density, mature production technology, ease of storage and transportation, and the no carbon/sulfur nature of ammonia fuel, direct-ammonia solid oxide fuel cells (DA-SOFCs) have received rapidly increasing attention, showing distinct advantages over H2-fueled SOFCs and low-temperature fuel cells. However, DA-SOFCs with conventional Ni-based cermet anodes still suffer from several drawbacks, including serious sintering and inferior activity for ammonia decomposition, strongly limiting the large-scale applications. To tackle the above-mentioned issues, exsolved NiCo nanoparticles decorated double perovskite oxides are fabricated and employed as high-performance anodes for DA-SOFCs in this work. By optimizing the Ni doping amount in Sr2CoMo1−xNixO6−δ (x = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3), the reduced Sr2CoMo0.8Ni0.2O6−δ (r-SCMN2) anode exhibits superb catalytic activity for ammonia cracking reaction and high anti-sintering capability. More specifically, the electrolyte-supported single cell with r-SCMN2 nanocomposite anode delivers superior power outputs and operational durability in ammonia fuel as compared with other r-SCMN anodes owing to the significantly promoted nanoparticle exsolution and stronger interaction between alloy nanoparticles and the support. In summary, this study presents an effective strategy for the design of efficient and stable nanocomposite anodes for DA-SOFCs.

Recent Configurational Advances for Solid-State Lithium Batteries Featuring Conversion-Type Cathodes.

Solid-state lithium metal batteries offer superior energy density, longer lifespan, and enhanced safety compared to traditional liquid-electrolyte batteries. Their development has the potential to revolutionize battery technology, including the creation of electric vehicles with extended ranges and smaller more efficient portable devices. The employment of metallic lithium as the negative electrode allows the use of Li-free positive electrode materials, expanding the range of cathode choices and increasing the diversity of solid-state battery design options. In this review, we present recent developments in the configuration of solid-state lithium batteries with conversion-type cathodes, which cannot be paired with conventional graphite or advanced silicon anodes due to the lack of active lithium. Recent advancements in electrode and cell configuration have resulted in significant improvements in solid-state batteries with chalcogen, chalcogenide, and halide cathodes, including improved energy density, better rate capability, longer cycle life, and other notable benefits. To fully leverage the benefits of lithium metal anodes in solid-state batteries, high-capacity conversion-type cathodes are necessary. While challenges remain in optimizing the interface between solid-state electrolytes and conversion-type cathodes, this area of research presents significant opportunities for the development of improved battery systems and will require continued efforts to overcome these challenges.

In situ monitoring of initial plasma electrolytic oxidation process on 60 vol. % SiCp/2009 aluminum matrix composite by sound and vibration measurement techniques.

The initial discharge process of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) on the 60 vol. % SiCP/2009 aluminum matrix composite in silicate solution was in situ monitored by sound and vibration measurement techniques. The underwater sound, airborne sound, and sample vibration signals were detected in the initial 120s of the PEO process, and their generation mechanism was discussed. In terms of waveforms and spectrograms of the sound and vibration signals, the initial PEO process can be divided into five stages: conventional anodizing stage (I), glow discharge stage (Ⅱ), tiny spark discharge stage (Ⅲ), large spark discharge stage (Ⅳ), and strong spark discharge stage (Ⅴ). The sound and vibration signals during the PEO process are attributed to the evolution of bubbles, which are from the plasma discharge, electrochemical reactions, and vaporization of electrolyte under Joule heat. In stage I, these signals completely come from the bubbles produced by the evaporative electrolyte and electrochemical reactions. In stages Ⅱ-Ⅴ, the bubbles from the plasma discharge gradually become the main source of these signals with increasing discharge intensity. In addition, the spike peaks on the waveforms of these signals at stage Ⅴ are related to the strong discharge sparks. These results demonstrate that sound and vibration measurement techniques can effectively monitor the PEO discharge process.

MXene‐Based Anode‐Free Magnesium Metal Battery

AbstractRechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) are promising next‐generation low‐cost and high‐energy devices. Among all RMBs, anode‐free magnesium metal batteries that use in situ magnesium‐plated current collectors as negative electrodes can afford optimal energy densities. However, anode‐free magnesium metal batteries have remained elusive so far, as their practical application is plagued by low Mg plating/stripping efficiency due to nonuniform Mg deposition on conventional anode current collectors. Herein, for the first time, an anode‐free Mg‐metal battery is developed by employing a 3D MXene (Ti3C2Tx) film with horizontal Mg electrodeposition. The magnesiophilic oxygen and reactive fluorine terminations in MXene enable an enriched local magnesium‐ion concentration and a durable magnesium fluoride‐rich solid electrolyte interphase on the Ti3C2Tx film surface. Meanwhile, Ti3C2Tx MXene exhibits a high lattice geometrical fit with Mg (≈96%) to guide the horizontal electrodeposition of Mg. Consequently, the developed Ti3C2Tx film achieves reversible Mg plating/stripping with high Coulombic efficiencies (&gt;99.4%) at high‐current‐density (5.0 mA cm−2) and high‐Mg‐utilization (50%) conditions. When this Ti3C2Tx film is coupled with a pre‐magnesized Mo6S8 cathode, the anode‐free Mg‐metal full‐cell prototype exhibits a volumetric energy density five times higher than its standard Mg‐metal counterpart. This work provides insights into the rational design of anode current collectors to guide horizontal Mg electrodeposition for anode‐free Mg metal batteries.

On-Wafer Wide-Pore Anodic Aluminum Oxide

Anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) has been used as nanotemplates for nanomaterials and nanodevice fabrications. Microfabrication techniques are attracting attention for nanodevice synthesis. However, AAO requires a microfabrication-compatible substrate due to its brittleness. While there are studies that already show AAO on compatible substrates, the pore sizes may not be applicable for multicomponent nanodevices. In this study, wide pore AAOs with ohmic bottom contacts are fabricated on 76 mm Si wafers. Sputtering was used to deposit Al along with supporting layers to achieve this goal. A quiescent electropolishing technique was used to smooth the surface of Al. Standard photolithography was used to define the active area on the Al for anodization. Then 195 V two-step anodization was performed to fabricate wide pore AAOs with pore diameters ranging from 130 ± 32 nm to 400 ± 31 nm with interpore distance of 480 ± 47 nm. It also showed that the ordering of the pores depended on the current density over the more conventional anodization time.

Novel concept of bolt-microtubular geometry for solid oxide fuel cells

This study introduces a proof of concept for a novel solid oxide fuel cell geometry called bolt-microtubular. Bolt-microtubular anode supports are formed by winding tape cast anode support strip on a threaded rod followed by isostatic pressing. Bolt-microtubular cells are built by dip coating other cell layers on these supports. Conventional microtubular anode supports and cells are also fabricated similarly for comparison and, microstructural, mechanical and electrochemical investigations are carried out. Different anode current collection strategies are also examined. The results indicate that with the proposed methods thread patterns can be successfully created on the anode supports and bolt-microtubular anode supports without any structural damages can be obtained after sintering. Although three point bending tests show ∼27% decrease in the fracture strength of the anode supports with bolt-microtubular design for the wall thickness studied, bolt-microtubular cells outperform microtubular ones due to enhanced electrolyte-electrode interfaces and effective current collection. The highest peak electrochemical performance of 0.293 Wcm−2 at 800 °C is obtained from the bolt-microtubular cell with external current collection, whereas the maximum power density of classical microtubular cell under the same operating conditions is 0.227 Wcm−2. The overall results reveal that bolt-microtubular design is promising and deserves further investigations.

Hybrid PEO/sol-gel coatings loaded with Ce for corrosion protection of AA2024-T3

Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) has been targeted as an eco-friendly alternative technology to conventional chromic acid anodizing (CAA) for corrosion protection of aluminium alloys in the aircraft industry. However, conventional PEO technology implies high energy consumption. Flash-PEO coatings (≤10 μm) produced in short treatment times (≤ 5 min) constitute a feasible way to overcome this limitation. Nevertheless, the long-term corrosion resistance is compromised, thus requiring novel sealing post-treatments. The present work studies the effect of stand-alone hybrid sol-gel (HSG) and Ce-doped hybrid sol-gel (HSGCe) coatings as a sealing post-treatment to evaluate the long-term corrosion resistance of Flash-PEO coatings on aluminium alloy (AA) 2024-T3. The characterization of the PEO, HSG, and HSG-Ce coatings was performed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, water contact angle, dry adhesion tests (ISO 2409), optical profilometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The corrosion behaviour was assessed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy up to 21 days (3.5 wt% NaCl). Active corrosion protection was assessed by immersion tests of artificially scratched coatings. Present findings reveal that low-energy-cost Flash-PEO coatings were successfully formed on AA2024-T3 alloy. Both HSG and HSG-Ce coatings were homogeneously formed on Flash PEO coating. Regarding the corrosion resistance, HSG-Ce showed significant scratch protection during 21 days of immersion in 3.5 wt% NaCl. The results suggest that, while the release of Si and Ce from the coating provided corrosion protection, NO3−release promoted localized corrosion phenomena in the scribe. This was associated with the preferential pitting corrosion phenomena at the Cu-rich intermetallic compounds instead of forming a thick and stableNO3−-rich passive layer.

Connecting structure and rheology of silicon/carbon supraparticle-based lithium-ion battery anode slurries

Due to the globally increasing demand for lithium-ion-batteries of high energy density, novel silicon-based materials of hierarchical structure are investigated as a potential replacement for conventional anode materials such as graphite. Since industrial process technologies cannot keep up with the development of new formulations, such approaches should be suited as ”drop-in” methods to the existing manufacturing processes. In this study, spray-dried silicon-based supraparticles of hierarchical structure are investigated regarding their suitability for industrial slurry processing under harsh mechanical conditions. The chosen strategy is to connect the structural integrity of the supraparticles with their time-dependent rheological behavior in anode slurries to provide methods for a mechanical characterization tailored to supraparticles. Apart from questions of battery processing, this study also provides general guidance on the rheology of supraparticle dispersions, which has been little studied so far. Structural kinetic models, experimentally determined thixotropic relaxation times, and a differential effective medium approach tailored for supraparticles are used herein. With this developed rheological toolset, a strong indicator of the mixing fraction of supraparticles and their primary particles inside full anode slurries is presented and the deagglomeration dynamics of the supraparticle structure in shear flow are resolved.

Intermolecular interaction engineering to enhance Lithium-Ion storage in Two-Dimensional oxidized silicon nanosheet anodes

Unlike conventional Si anodes for use in Li-ion batteries, 2D oxidized Si nanosheets, i.e., siloxene, undergo negligible volume expansion during cycling owing to their unique geometries and chemical structures. Nevertheless, siloxene receives less attention than other Si-based nanostructures, partly because the interactions of siloxene with conventional binders and their effects on charge storage are largely unexplored. Herein, the intermolecular interactions of siloxene with four typical binders (alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyacrylic acid, and α-polyvinylidene fluoride) are investigated to enhance the electrochemical performance using a simple method. The binders are selected using two criteria, i.e., polarity and functional groups, and they exhibit different intermolecular interactions with siloxene. Particularly, alginate forms the strongest intermolecular bonds, which are attributed to dipole–dipole attractions between the H atoms in siloxene and the OH groups in alginate. The trend of the intermolecular binding strengths of the binders is consistent with those of the cycling stabilities and rate performances. The alginate-based siloxene electrode displays an excellent charge capacity retention of 66 % after 500 cycles at 200 mA g−1, which is unprecedented for pristine siloxene anodes. This study provides useful guidelines for designing binders for use in electrode materials with chemical structures similar to that of siloxene.