Stability of silver nanowire based electrodes under environmental and electrical stresses

Abstract

Flexible transparent electrodes fabricated with random networks of silver nanowires (AgNWs) have been widely studied in recent years. This approach appears to be a promising alternative to replace ITO (indium tin oxide) in many optoelectronic applications. Many successful integrations in functional devices have already evidenced the high potential of this technology, but unfortunately only very few studies have been dedicated so far to the stability of this material. We present here a study dealing with the alteration of the electrical properties of AgNW meshes when subjected to different stresses. We demonstrate that AgNW electrodes are very stable when stored under ambient atmosphere up to, at least, two and a half years. Accelerated ageing processes also reveal that concentrated H2S or exposure to light does not cause any significant sheet resistance modification. However, the combination of high relative humidity and high temperature seems to be more critical. In addition, long lasting contact (two years) with PEDOT:PSS can induce deterioration of the electrical properties. Similarly, AgNW/PEDOT:PSS hybrid materials exhibit weaker stability under electrical stress when compared to pristine AgNW networks.

The dependence of silver nanowire stability on network composition and processing parameters

“…For AgNWs, we along with several other reports observe that Ag 2 S exists as particles along the surface of the nanowire body. 24,25,27,28 Aer the 60 day experiment some silver nanowires corroded to the point of discontinuity, as displayed in Fig. 1a.…”

“…However, these factors alone cannot explain why silver nanowires and nanowire electrodes prepared by different groups have vastly different lifetimes. Silver nanowires prepared by Mayousse et al 28 were reported to be stable when stored in ambient atmosphere for two and a half years, while AgNWs prepared by Elechiguerra et al 24 and Jiu et al 25 degrade to the point of non-continuity in as little as 30 days under similar conditions. In the context of transparent electrodes, Mayousse's samples showed a minimal sheet resistance increase in 2.5 years, while the electrodes prepared in two other studies, one by Jiu 25 and the other by Vaagensmith, 29 were non-conductive via open circuit in less than 6 months.…”

Highly Reliable Silver Nanowire Transparent Electrode Employing Selectively Patterned Barrier Shaped by Self-Masked Photolithography

“…52,53 For AgNWs, the corrosion was accelerated by high humidity, 26 especially cooperated with high temperature. 22 Therefore, the hydrophobic property 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 14 of AgNW electrode enhanced by the photoresist patterned barrier further benefited the degradation prevention.…”

A Simple Silver Nanowire Patterning Method Based on Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Photolithography and Its Application for Soft Electronics

“…nanomaterials 19–23 , the silver nanowires (AgNWs) 24–26 show considerable promise for flexible microelectrodes due to their excellent electrical properties, flexibility, mechanical robustness, and low-cost processing 27 . Importantly, AgNWs have been demonstrated to exhibit an excellent long-term stability under ambient atmosphere, high temperature, and external force 28–30 . Because the performance of bioelectronic devices is highly dependent on the properties of electrodes consisting of the conductive materials, it is important to choose a highly conductive material.…”