Cured conductive binder material, uses thereof and methods of forming same

The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the method further includes the step of controlling the reaction pH and/or temperature and/or mixing and/or relative concentrations of the at least one active material and/or modified metal coordination complex and/or at least one polymeric binder, when the three components are exposed to one another.

The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein the method further comprises the step of forming a modified oligomeric metal coordination complex.

The method or curable binder formulation of any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one modified metal coordination complex is a metal coordination complex formed at a pH below 3.8 and/or is a capped metal coordination complex.

The method or curable binder formulation of any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one modified metal coordination complex comprises a ligand, wherein the ligand and the at least one polymeric binder comprise the same functional group, wherein the at least one polymeric binder comprises a greater number of said functional group than the ligand.

The method or curable binder formulation of any one of the preceding claims wherein the metal ion of the metal coordination complex and/or modified oligomeric metal coordination complex is selected from the group consisting of chromium, ruthenium, iron, cobalt, titanium, aluminium, zirconium, rhodium and combinations thereof.

A cured conductive binder material comprising at least one active material, at least one polymeric binder, and at least one metal coordination complex, the at least one active material and at least one polymeric binder being interconnected by the at least one metal coordination complex, and wherein the conductive binder material comprises dative bonds between the metal of the at least one metal coordination complex and both the at least one active material and the at least one polymeric binder and is substantially homogeneous throughout its extent.

The method, curable binder formulation, or cured conductive binder material of any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one active material has a surface which includes a nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, hydroxyl, or carboxylic acid species.

The method, curable binder formulation, or cured conductive binder material of any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one active material is selected from the group consisting of metals, intermetallic compounds, metalloids, metal oxides, clays, carbon-based nanoparticles, graphite and ceramics.

The method, curable binder formulation, or cured conductive binder material of any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one active material is selected from silicon, silicon-containing materials (its oxides, composites and alloys), tin, a tin-containing material (its oxides, composites and alloys), germanium, germanium-containing material (its oxides, composites and alloys), carbon, and graphite.

The method, curable binder formulation, or cured conductive binder material of any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one active material is selected from those comprising sulphur, LiFePO4 (LFP), mixed metal oxides which include cobalt, lithium, nickel, iron and/or manganese, phosphorus, aluminum, titanium and carbon.

The method, curable binder formulation or cured conductive binder material of any one of the preceding claims wherein the polymeric binder comprises an oxygen species selected from acrylate, carboxyl, hydroxyl, and carbonyl moieties.

The method, curable binder formulation or cured conductive binder material of any one of the preceding claims wherein the polymeric binder is selected from the group consisting of:

• polyvinylpyrrolidone, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polyacrylic acid (PAA), poly(methacrylic acid), maleic anhydride copolymers including poly(ethylene and maleic anhydride) copolymers, polyvinyl alcohol, alginic acid salts, carboxymethyl chitosan, natural polysaccharide, Xanthan gum, Guar gum, Arabic gum, alginate, and polyimide.