Extremely long Ag nanowires synthesis and electromechanical characterization for transparent, flexible, stretchable electrode

The performance of Ag nanowire (NW) electrodes can be improved by reducing contact junction resistance between NWs during the post-treatment. Thin and long Ag NWs simplify this process by reducing the number of contact junctions, thereby enhancing performance. Through the polyol method with slow-dropwise addition of AgNO3, we synthesized Ag NWs with an average length of 480 µm, an average diameter of 150 nm, and an aspect ratio of 3,200. Using these long Ag NWs (L-Ag NWs), we fabricated a flexible transparent electrode with high transmittance (92.16%) and low sheet resistance (20 ohms/sq). After 100,000 bending tests, the resistance change was extremely stable (< 0.002). A stretchable transparent electrode was fabricated and subjected to a 1,600-cycle stretching test at 20% strain. The L-Ag NW electrode exhibited better optoelectrical properties than the short-Ag NW (S–Ag NW). The development of L-Ag NWs has the potential to revolutionize the fabrication of wearable sensors and transparent electrode materials.