Silver-Nanowire-Based Elastic Conductors: Preparation Processes and Substrate Adhesion

Abstract

The production of flexible electronic systems includes stretchable electrical interconnections and flexible electronic components, promoting the research and development of flexible conductors and stretchable conductive materials with large bending deformation or torsion resistance. Silver nanowires have the advantages of high conductivity, good transparency and flexibility in the development of flexible electronic products. In order to further prepare system-level flexible systems (such as autonomous full-software robots, etc.), it is necessary to focus on the conductivity of the system’s composite conductor and the robustness of the system at the physical level. In terms of conductor preparation processes and substrate adhesion strategies, the more commonly used solutions are selected. Four kinds of elastic preparation processes (pretensioned/geometrically topological matrix, conductive fiber, aerogel composite, mixed percolation dopant) and five kinds of processes (coating, embedding, changing surface energy, chemical bond and force, adjusting tension and diffusion) to enhance the adhesion of composite conductors using silver nanowires as current-carrying channel substrates were reviewed. It is recommended to use the preparation process of mixed percolation doping and the adhesion mode of embedding/chemical bonding under non-special conditions. Developments in 3D printing and soft robots are also discussed.

Nanoparticle-Embedded Polymers and Their Applications: A Review

“…The unique combination of suitable bonds provided by the polymers embedded in the nanoparticles makes them suitable for developing high-performance electronics. For example, silver nanoparticles embedded in a polymer matrix can be used to create flexible and stretchable conductive materials [ 141 , 142 ]. This property is desirable in applications such as wearable electronic devices, where the material needs to be flexible and conform to the shape of the human body.…”

Silver Nanowire Networks Coated with a Few Nanometer Thick Aluminum Nitride Films for Ultra-Transparent and Robust Heating Applications

“…Over the past decade, research of emerging transparent conductive materials (TCMs) has grown exponentially, thanks to their remarkable properties and the exciting opportunities they can provide to a large variety of devices, i.e., touch screens, smart windows, organic photovoltaics, energy harvesters, transparent heaters (THs), or biomedical sensors. − In the race to replace indium tin oxide (ITO), which is limited by film brittleness and scarcity of indium, metallic nanowire networks and grids, graphene-based thin films, conductive polymers, and several composite materials have demonstrated excellent electrical, optical, and mechanical properties. ,− Among them, AgNW networks are one of the most promising alternatives since they can be fabricated in open air and using large-scale deposition processes, and they have superior flexibility compared to ceramic transparent conductive oxides (TCOs). − However, there are crucial stability issues (chemical, thermal, and electrical) that have hindered their mass integration in devices. − A common strategy to improve the stability of AgNW networks has been to their encapsulation with a protective layer (typically metal oxides, graphene oxide, or polymer-based thin films) to prevent chemical reactions with the environment and silver atomic diffusion. ,− Despite the very promising results achieved so far thanks to such protective layers, there is still much room to improve the voltage and/or temperature of failure and to overcome limitations regarding the loss of optical transparency and long-term stability. ,,, …”

Highly Electroconductive Metal-Polymer Hybrid Foams Based on Silver Nanowires: Manufacturing and Characterization

“…The use of silver nanowires (AgNWs) is growing in a wide range of fields due to their exceptional properties and benefits in various technological applications, such as transparent electrodes [ 1 ], flexible conductors [ 2 , 3 , 4 ], pressure sensors [ 5 ], air conditioning filtration systems [ 6 ], controlled drug delivery devices [ 7 ], and antimicrobial dressings [ 8 ]. AgNWs have excellent electrical conductivity, making them ideal for use in touch screens.…”