Sprayed Hybrid Cellulose Nanofibril–Silver Nanowire Transparent Electrodes for Organic Electronic Applications

Abstract

In times of climate change and resource scarcity, researchers are aiming to find sustainable alternatives to synthetic polymers for the fabrication of biodegradable, eco-friendly, and, at the same time, high-performance materials. Nanocomposites have the ability to combine several favorable properties of different materials in a single device. Here, we evaluate the suitability of two kinds of inks containing silver nanowires for the fast, facile, and industrial-relevant fabrication of two different types of cellulose-based silver nanowire electrodes via layer-by-layer spray deposition only. The Type I electrode has a layered structure, which is composed of a network of silver nanowires sprayed on top of a cellulose nanofibrils layer, while the Type II electrode consists of a homogeneous mixture of silver nanowires and cellulose nanofibrils. A correlation between the surface structure, conductivity, and transparency of both types of electrodes is established. We use the Haacke figure of merit for transparent electrode materials to demonstrate the favorable influence of cellulose nanofibrils in the spray ink by identifying Type II as the electrode with the lowest sheet resistance (minimum 5 ± 0.04 Ω/sq), while at the same time having a lower surface roughness and shorter fabrication time than Type I. Finally, we prove the mechanical stability of the Type II electrode by bending tests and its long-time stability under ambient conditions. The results demonstrate that the mixed spray ink of silver nanowires and cellulose nanofibrils is perfectly suitable for the fast fabrication of highly conductive organic nanoelectronics on an industrial scale.

Rubbery stretchable conductors based on 3D printed silver nanowires and their application in wearable optoelectronic devices

“…The result demonstrates that an increased scattering at low q can be seen in the scattering curve of the AgNW electrodes, which can be attributed to the large amounts of randomly distributed AgNWs embedded in the PDMS, leading to tremendous diffuse scattering. 31 AgNWs were entangled with each other due to the extremely high aspect ratio, 32–34 which facilitated the stretchability of the electrodes. To further demonstrate the printability of the ink, various patterns were designed and printed.…”

Poly(sobrerol methacrylate) Colloidal Inks Sprayed onto Cellulose Nanofibril Thin Films for Anticounterfeiting Applications

“…A single CNF is approximately 3–5 nm in diameter and 500–1000 nm in length, depending on the surface charge. , The characteristics of thin CNF films, water adhesion, or imbibition properties are governed by the morphology which is given by the surface charge of CNF and the arrangement of the fibrils. ,, The CNF layer is not allowed to undergo any morphological changes below an annealing temperature of 200 °C . CNF forms a long-range network that serves as a good template or carrier for nanoparticles, making it useful for various applications such as anticounterfeiting or as a holder for electronic devices. ,,− …”

“…Therefore, incorporating colloids into the network of porous cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) is suitable for modifying water adhesion . Embedded nanoparticles give the hybrid material different properties than surface nanoparticles. , …”

“…Spray-coated CNF layers with a high surface energy and a high degree of homogeneity with a defined porosity and roughness are used. − This results in specific imbibition properties of different materials and solvents in the CNF layer. , …”

Self-Reinforced Doping Strategy in the Multiscale PMIA Paper for High Mechanical Properties and Insulating Performance

“…As a result, the structure of meta-ANF composites has high porosity with a lower hydrogen-bonding density than that of meta-AMFs, giving rise to worse mechanical properties than those of meta-AMFs. One efficient solution to improve the interfacial compatibility is using modified fillers. − In addition, the distribution and orientation of the fillers play a vital role in the enhancement of the comprehensive performance of composites, which could be characterized by various advanced techniques including scanning electron microscope (SEM), wide and small X-ray scatterings (WAXS and SAXS), et al , This offers a great opportunity for a forward step in the highly mechanical ANFs-based composites with optimized structure and stronger interfacial interactions.…”