The role of graphene in enhancing electrical heating and mechanical performances of graphene−aligned silver nanowire hybrid transparent heaters

Abstract

In this work, flexible and energy-efficient transparent heaters based on graphene and aligned silver nanowire (G–ASNW) hybrid structures are fabricated by thermal evaporation of silver on the aligned electrospun nanofiber templates and subsequent transfer of monolayer graphene onto the ASNWs. The G–ASNW films exhibit few wire-wire junctions and low resistance along the aligned direction, which are favorable for low-voltage transparent heater applications. Coating the ASNW network with monolayer graphene increases the saturated temperature of the hybrid heater due to the high thermal conductivity and low convective heat-transfer coefficient of graphene. Meanwhile, G–ASNW films show excellent electromechanical stability under cyclic bending because the graphene anchoring on the top surface of ASNWs could share tensile stress and serve as local conducting pathways at break-points even if small cracks were generated. The G–ASNW hybrid structures present a perspective on wearable transparent heaters.