Microwave-Welded and Photopolymer-Embedded Silver Nanowire Electrodes for Skin-like Supercapacitors

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are expected to be used in next-generation flexible transparent conductive electrodes due to their outstanding electronic properties and high transmittance. However, the ineluctable contact resistance between AgNWs and poor stability have limited their use in wearable and conformable devices. In addition, the mechanical peeling damage caused by a polymer substrate with an unmatched Young’s modulus and adhesion force still remains a challenge. Herein, we simultaneously resolve the aforementioned conductivity, stability, and substrate issues. An effective microwave-welded technique and embedded structure are proposed for the fabrication of skin-like AgNW electrodes with high optoelectronic performance and mechanical robustness. Meanwhile, we develop a flexible, stable, and appropriate photopolymer substrate and demonstrate photopolymer-embedded AgNW electrodes with less mechanical damage during the peeling process and outstanding environmental stability even in water. Based on these electrodes, we further fabricated skin-like supercapacitor devices with high area capacitance and excellent flexibility (2000 bending cycles). This reported facile strategy provides meaningful guidance for preparing high-performance skin-like transparent electrodes, showing promising potential for next-generation wearable and epidermal electronics.