LAUSR

Abstract Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are remarkable components that may be able to replace indium tin oxide (ITO) as transparent electrodes. However, a common coating method can cause poor conductivity and adhesively because of the creation of randomly organized connections of Ag NWs. These problems should be overcome in AgNW networks for transparent electrodes through material and engineering approaches. In this work, novel AgNW based transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) on a flexible polycarbonate (PC) substrate, with synchronously improved adhesivity and reduced resistivity, are prepared via hot lamination process. The sheet resistance of the treated AgNW networks decreases from 100 to 12.5 Ω/sq. at optical transmittance of 94.5%. Calculation of figure of merit (FOM) displays a high value of 187, which is superior to that obtained from the flexible ITO, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and other metal nanowires. Meanwhile, the sheet resistance is almost unchanged after 30 tape tests, suggesting an outstanding adhesion of AgNW networks to the flexible substrate. In addition, the treated AgNW networks show small bending radius of 3.0 mm, indicating good flexibility. These results illustrate a promising alternative to traditional transparent conductive films for wearable electronic devices.