Conductive composite inks are widely
used in various applications
such as flexible electronics. However, grand challenges still remain
associated with their relatively low electrical conductivity and require
heavy use of organic solvents, which may limit their high performance
in broad applications and cause environmental concerns. Here, we report
a generalized and eco-friendly strategy to fabricate highly conductive
aqueous inks using silver nanowires (AgNWs) and biomass-derived organic
salts, including succinic acid–chitosan (SA–chitosan)
and sebacic acid–chitosan. SA–chitosan/AgNW composite
coatings can be prepared by directly casting conductive aqueous inks
on various substrates, followed by subsequently heating for cross-linking.
The composite coatings exhibit an ultrahigh electrical conductivity
up to 1.4 × 104 S/cm, which are stable after being
treated with various organic solvents and/or kept at a high temperature
of 150 °C, indicating their high chemical and thermal resistance.
The flexibility and performance durability of these composite coatings
were demonstrated by a suite of characterization methods, including
bending, folding, and adhesion tests. Moreover, a high electromagnetic
interference shielding (EMI) effectiveness of 73.3 dB is achieved
for SA–chitosan/AgNW composite coatings at a thickness of only
10 μm due to the ultrahigh electrical conductivity. Additionally,
we further demonstrated that such conductive composite inks can be
used for fabricating functional textiles for a variety of applications
with high performance, such as EMI shielding, Joule heating, and strain
sensing. The robust and highly conductive inks prepared by this simple
and environmental-friendly method hold great promise as important
material candidates for the potential large-scale manufacturing of
flexible and wearable electronics.