Water‐Soluble Inorganic Binders for Lithium‐Ion and Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Inorganic materials form an emerging class of water-soluble binders for battery applications. Their favourable physicochemical properties, such as intrinsic ionic conductivity, high thermal stability (>1000 °C), and compatibility to coat a diverse range of electrode materials make them useful binders for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. Li and Na containing phosphates and silicates are attractive choices as multifunctional inorganic aqueous binders (IABs). This review discusses these binders' structural, thermal, and ionic properties, followed by exploiting their ionically conducting nature for all-solid-state batteries. Subsequently, the application of these compounds as binders and surface coating agents for different anodes and cathodes in lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries is discussed. Eventually, a first evaluation of their environmental impacts and economic aspects is presented as well.