<p>The structure and characteristics of the binder material utilized in the electrodes of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are key variables influencing the electrochemical performance. The viscosity of the binder is a crucial property that has received limited research attention. Therefore, this work investigated how the viscosity of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) affects the electrochemical properties and cycle stability of the produced anodes. To achieve this objective, mesocarbon microbead (MCMB) anodes were produced with various CMC binders, including low viscosity (LV-CMC), moderate viscosity (MV-CMC), and high viscosity (HV-CMC). The MV-CMC electrode exhibited the highest specific discharge capacity, the best capacity retention, the lowest resistance of the solid electrolyte interphase, and the lowest charge transfer resistance after 100 cycles at 0.5 C. The MV-CMC anode showed the greatest lithium-ion diffusion coefficient, which provides improved kinetics for lithium-ion diffusion. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) results showed that the MV-CMC anode has less polarization and better reversibility for electrochemical reactions. After cycling, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images indicated that MV-CMC has a uniform surface without any sign of excessive growth of surface layers or blockage of penetration pathways. Consequently, MV-CMC can be proposed as the optimal CMC binder for the fabrication of MCMB electrodes.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>