High-performance ultrathin Ag electrodes by chemical bond anchoring Ag atoms for stretchable organic light-emitting devices

The progress of stretchable organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) has brought about new possibilities for highly functional wearable electronics. However, the efficiency and durability of stretchable OLEDs have been limited by the performance of stretchable transparent electrodes. Here, we proposed an interface engineering strategy that involves anchoring the growth of silver (Ag) atoms with amine-enriched biomaterials for high-quality stretchable transparent electrodes. The strong interactions between the Ag atom and the amine group enable the uniform Ag electrodes at an ultralow thickness of 7 nm, and provide remarkable mechanical flexibility and strain endurance to the Ag electrodes. The distinct effects of different amino acids were investigated, and a deep understanding of their unique contributions to the film formation process was gained. The resulting ultrathin Ag electrodes exhibit outstanding optoelectrical properties (transmittance of ~ 98% and sheet resistance of ~ 8.7 Ω/sq) and excellent stretchability during 500 stretching cycles at 100% strain. Stretchable green phosphorescent OLEDs based on the Ag electrodes have been demonstrated with a current efficiency of up to ~ 70.4 cd/A. Impressively, the devices show excellent stretching stability, retaining ~ 89% of the original luminance and ~ 78% of the original current efficiency after 200 stretching cycles at 100% strain. This work opens up new possibilities for stretchable transparent electrodes, fostering advancements in wearable displays and other innovative flexible devices.