Design of hybrid Ag–Au nanostructure based fully elastomeric nanocomposite electrodes for soft integrated electronics

Abstract

Recent advancements in stretchable devices have opened new avenues for constructing soft electronics for use in applications such as health-monitoring wearables, advanced integrated circuits, and soft robotics. Meeting the increasing demand for enhanced functionality in soft electronics requires the development of soft conductors with high electrical conductivity, mechanical durability, and cost-effectiveness. Researchers have addressed this challenge by creating percolated networks within the elastomer as a nanocomposite using low-dimensional conducting nanomaterials to endow non-stretchable metallic materials with mechanical stretchability. For example, silver nanowires (AgNWs) have found wide application as essential fillers in soft conductor nanocomposites owing to their remarkable aspect ratio and cost-efficiency. However, their application is limited by their susceptibility to environmental degradation and poor compatibility with semiconducting materials. In this work, the hybrid Ag–Au based nanomaterials as a filler nanomaterial within an elastomer in a nanocomposite format was generated, as it exploits the strengths of each material while mitigating their respective weaknesses. Specifically, the work introduces the merit of the hybrid elastomeric electrodes that consist of AgNWs decorated with Au nanoparticles (AANWs), and Au nanosheets (AuNSs) embedded in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer. These electrodes exhibit remarkable mechanical resilience and electrical conductivity, making them suitable for application in transistors, logic gates, integrated electronics, and soft displays. The work explores the synthesis and properties of hybrid materials comprising AgNWs and AuNSs, highlighting the promising potential of these materials for future research and development.