One-step synthesis of ultra-long silver nanowires of over 100 μm and their application in flexible transparent conductive films

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) >100 mu m and even 160 mu m in length have been synthesized using a facile and rationally designed solvothermal method by heating preservation at 150 degrees C. The length of the as-synthesized AgNWs is over 4-5 times longer than those previously reported, while the diameter range is from 40 nm to 85 nm. A transparent conducting film (TCF) was fabricated using hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) as the adhesive polymer, and it achieved exceptional and stable optoelectronic properties. Its low sheet resistance of similar to 9 Omega sq(-1) (on polyethylene terephthalate, PET) and high optical transmittance of similar to 88% are superior to that of expensive indium tin oxide (ITO) films. More significantly, the AgNW network demonstrates excellent adhesion to PET substrates. This study indicates that ultra-long silver nanowires can serve as an alternative to ITO, which also demonstrates its potential application in flexible electronic devices.