We demonstrate the polyol synthesis of ultrathin Ag nanowires with diameters of 20 nm and an aspect ratio as high as ∼1000 under high-pressure conditions.

We synthesized ultra-thin Ag nanowire (Ag NWs) with sub-15 nm diameters and aspect ratios of 1000 through a water-based high-pressure hydrothermal method in the presence of a tetrabutylammonium dichlorobromide organic salt and glucose reducing agent. In the crystal growth stage, the diameter of the NWs could be controlled by adjusting the pressure, and 15-nm diameter wires were obtained at a pressure of 190 psi. These 2D conductive Ag NW network films showed an excellent optical performance with low haze value of ≤1.0% and 94.5% transmittance at a low sheet resistance of 20 Ω/sq.

Silver nanowires (Ag NWs) with a small diameter of 20 nm and aspect ratio of 1000 were synthesized using the polyol method in the presence of a magnetic ionic liquid: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrachloroferrate.

We report the fabrication of stretchable transparent electrode films (STEF) using 15-nm-diameter Ag nanowires networks embedded into a cross-linked polydimethylsiloxane elastomer. 15-nm-diameter Ag NWs with a high aspect ratio (˃1000) were synthesized through pressure-induced polyol synthesis in the presence of AgCl particles with KBr. These Ag NW network-based STEF exhibited considerably low haze values (<1.5%) with a transparency of 90% despite the low sheet resistance of 20 Ω/sq. The STEF exhibited an outstanding mechanical elasticity of up to 20% and no visible change occurred in the sheet resistance after 100 cycles at a stretching-release test of 20%.