Highly foldable transparent conductive films composed of silver nanowire junctions prepared by chemical metal reduction

Abstract

A simple method is demonstrated to improve the folding reliability and sheet resistance of silver nanowire (Ag NW)-based transparent conductive films (TCFs) without overcoated layers or complicated processes. As-coated Ag NW film is immersed in a silver-surrounded solution, in which the silver was reduced by Tollen's reagent. Therefore, the reduced silver can be deposited on the surface and crossing of Ag NWs to form a weld-like junction and bind the Ag NWs together, hence decreasing the contact resistance of Ag NW structure at wire-to-wire junctions by increasing the contact surface area. Compared with original Ag NW TCFs, this Ag NW junction structure not only shows compatibility with conventional wet processes, but also demonstrates outstanding flexibility, even when the entire film is folded. This could be attributed to the robustly weld-like wire-to-wire junction of Ag NWs, which enhances its mechanical characteristics. The results demonstrated the feasibility of this alternative approach for the development of an effective low-power-consumption route for fabricating foldable transparent electrodes. Moreover, the results also indicated the practicability of applying this foldable transparent electrode in the fabrication of highly flexible and wearable optoelectronic devices.

Aligned Carbon Nanotube Film Enables Thermally Induced State Transformations in Layered Polymeric Materials

“…4 This can be achieved using microheater films. Using nanoscale elements, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] graphene, 10,[20][21][22][23] metal nanowires (NWs), 19,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] or hybrids of thereof, 24,32 recent work has shown that microheater films with high operating temperatures and fast thermal ramp rates can be made. However, the lack of CNT/graphene/NW alignment in these microheater films compromises their mechanical properties and electrical stability, 32 making them less suitable for application in structures that may be exposed to stress, such as airplane wings.…”

Emerging Novel Metal Electrodes for Photovoltaic Applications

“…Chemical welding, being another class of welding strategy for crystalline metal bonding, has attracted even more attentions due to the low‐temperature and solution‐based process. In general, a precursor containing metal ion source is dropped on the metal nanowire electrode on substrate; alternatively, the electrode is immersed in the precursor solution, which is followed by the reduction of metal ions and the deposition of metal atoms at the junction regions due to the preferential growth on the concave‐type surface with high chemical potential or plasmon‐mediated chemical reduction at the junction . Figure presents two representative results of Ag NW based conductive network with crystalline Ag solder at the junction of metal NWs.…”

Transparent Conducting Electrodes for Quantum Dots Light Emitting Diodes

“…Efforts have also been devoted to decreasing the junction resistance such as heating, pressing, electrochemical annealing, PEDOT: PSS welding, graphene coating, plasmonic welding, laser nano-welding and deposition of Au, ZnO, or TiO 2 particles. [88][89][90][91][92][93][94] Chang et al [95] applied chemically reduced silver to connect the junctions of Ag NW electrodes. They reported that the reduced silver deposited on the surfaces and junctions of the Ag NW electrodes to form a weld-like junction, binding the electrodes together and decreasing their contact resistance.…”

“…Efforts have also been devoted to decreasing the junction resistance such as heating, pressing, electrochemical annealing, PEDOT : PSS welding, graphene coating, plasmonic welding, laser nano‐welding and deposition of Au, ZnO, or TiO 2 particles . Chang et al . applied chemically reduced silver to connect the junctions of Ag NW electrodes.…”