Highly Conductive and Compliant Silver Nanowire Nanocomposites by Direct Spray Deposition

Abstract

The silver nanowire (Ag NW)/elastomer nanocomposite represents a prototypical form of a compliant conductor for flexible and stretchable electronic devices. The widespread implementations are currently hindered by the complicated procedures to effectively disperse Ag NWs into elastomer matrices. In this study, we report a facile and scalable coating process to create Ag NW nanocomposites on various flexible/stretchable substrates. As-synthesized Ag NWs from the high-yield polyol-reduction approach are homogeneously dispersed into a variety of dilute elastomer solutions, thereby enabling direct spray deposition into highly compliant conductors. The as-prepared nanocomposite exhibits excellent conductivity (∼11,000 S/cm) and high deformability to 100% strain. The stable electrical properties are largely retained under repetitive mechanical manipulations including stretching, bending, and folding. The patterned features of conductive nanocomposites are conveniently accessed using shadow masks or selective laser ablation. The practical suitability is demonstrated by the successful implementations of a stretchable sensing patch and a flexible light-emitting diode display.