Synthesis and applications of silver nanowires

In the era of artificial intelligence, emerging fields such as smart windows, flexible sensors, human-computer interaction systems, and new energy technologies have exerted a profound influence on various aspects of our daily lives. The development of these fields heavily relies on conductive materials. Consequently, the demand for conductive electrodes has experienced exponential growth. Indium tin oxide (ITO) has traditionally been the most widely adopted conductive material. However, its limitations-such as inherent brittleness, toxicity, and the scarcity of indium-hinder its suitability for use in flexible electronic devices. In this context, silver nanowires (AgNWs) have emerged as one of the most promising alternatives among various candidates, owing to their excellent electrical conductivity, high optical transparency, superior mechanical flexibility, and compatibility with diverse substrates. This review summarizes different AgNW synthesis methods, the fabrication of AgNW-based flexible transparent conductive electrodes, and introduces their applications in areas like flexible touch screen, flexible sensors, energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding.