Conformal Encapsulation of Silver Nanowire Transparent Electrodes by Nanosized Reduced Graphene Oxide Leading to Improved All-Round Stability

Jin

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

et al. 2023

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) have been employed in various optoelectronic devices as transparent electrodes. However, it remains a great challenge to facilely pattern silver nanowires to realize desirable soft skin devices. Here, we develop an intact transfer method via a double-layered adhesion regulator of graphene oxide (GO) enabling complete transfer of a silver nanowire pattern from a tough substrate onto soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and flexible polyethylene (PE). We achieve positive and negative patterns simultaneously when selectively transferring silver nanowire patterns. The resulting patterned AgNW electrodes have uniform conductivity and long-term stability. The underlying mechanism of the clean transfer is thoroughly investigated via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). GO plays a role in reducing the adhesion of AgNW to the donor tough substrate and enhancing adhesion of AgNW to the target soft substrate simultaneously. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of the patterned electrodes as transparent sensors detecting body motion. This work offers an effective solution to the challenging patterning problem of silver nanowires on a hydrophobic soft substrate, which is compatible with the soft component in emerging smart skin or wearable electronics.

Section: Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facile Transfer of a Transparent Silver Nanowire Pattern to a Soft Substrate Using Graphene Oxide as a Double-Sided Adhesion-Tuning Layer

Jin

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

et al. 2023

“…[8,9] The shape, size, and chemical composition of these nanostructures are parameters that can be adapted to increase the influence of the plasmon resonance on the active layer absorption. [10][11][12][13][14] This allows to increase the performance of the solar cell. [1,15,16,17] This article presents, on the one hand, a fabrication process and optimization of the optoelectronic parameters of a silver nanowire-based electrode, and on the other hand, its integration in an organic solar cell based on the recently developed PF2:PC70BM polymer-fullerene active layer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[8] They have proven to be able to be used as an anode, cathode, or interlayer of tandem organic solar cells. [10][11][12] In addition, several studies show that the surface plasmon resonance related to metallic nanostructures can increase the absorption of the active layer. [8,9] The shape, size, and chemical composition of these nanostructures are parameters that can be adapted to increase the influence of the plasmon resonance on the active layer absorption.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silver Nanowire Electrodes Integrated in Organic Solar Cells with Thick Active Layer Based on a Low‐Cost Donor Polymer

et al. 2022

Transparent electrodes are a key component in the manufacturing of optoelectronic devices such as light‐emitting diodes, touch screens, and solar cells. The transparent electrode commonly used in this field is based on indium tin oxide (ITO). It contains indium, which is an expensive, rare, difficult to extract, and depleting element, hence the need to find an alternative. Silver nanowire (AgNW) electrodes are one of the best alternatives due to their excellent electrical, optical, and mechanical properties. Herein, it is shown that embedding AgNWs between two layers of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) leads to superior optical and electrical performance. The validation of the ZnONPs/AgNWs/ZnONPs electrode using the reference PF2:PC70BM organic active layer, known to present a long carrier lifetime, in inverted solar cell architectures shows an increased absorption of the active layer. This enhancement is due to the electrical field resulting from plasmonic resonance because the absorption is proportional to the square of the electric field amplitude. Through photoluminescence spectroscopy, a shorter exciton lifetime in PF2 in the presence of AgNWs is also observed. All these processes lead to improved photovoltaic performance compared to ITO‐based reference, with approximately 20% increase in photocurrent and overall power conversion efficiency.

“…Moreover, the weak bonding forces among Ag NWs as well as between the Ag NW thin film and substrate are obstacles for high electrical performance and mechanical stability. To strengthen adhesion to the substrate, a variety of methods have been studied previously, e.g., encapsulation [ 41 , 42 ], surface functionalization [ 43 ], photonic sintering [ 44 ], composite with functional material [ 45 , 46 , 47 ], and compression [ 48 ]. However, these methods require an additional equipment set-up and cannot be integrated into the existing manufacturing process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Continuous Patterning of Silver Nanowire-Polyvinylpyrrolidone Composite Transparent Conductive Film by a Roll-to-Roll Selective Calendering Process

et al. 2022

The roll-to-roll (R2R) continuous patterning of silver nanowire-polyvinylpyrrolidone (Ag NW-PVP) composite transparent conductive film (cTCF) is demonstrated in this work by means of slot-die coating followed by selective calendering. The Ag NWs were synthesized by the polyol method, and adequately washed to leave an appropriate amount of PVP to act as a capping agent and dispersant. The as-coated Ag NW-PVP composite film had low electronic conductivity due to the lack of percolation path, which was greatly improved by the calendering process. Moreover, the dispersion of Ag NWs was analyzed with addition of PVP in terms of density and molecular weight. The excellent dispersion led to uniform distribution of Ag NWs in a cTCF. The continuous patterning was conducted using an embossed pattern roll to perform selective calendering. To evaluate the capability of the calendering process, various line widths and spacing patterns were investigated. The minimum pattern dimensions achievable were determined to be a line width of 0.1 mm and a line spacing of 1 mm. Finally, continuous patterning using selective calendering was applied to the fabrication of a flexible heater and a resistive touch sensing panel as flexible electronic devices to demonstrate its versatility.