Effects of Intrinsic Factors on the Stability of Silver Nanowire-Based Flexible Electrodes

Silver nanowire (AgNW)-based electrodes are susceptible to unstable behavior under external light illumination, humidity, or heat treatment due to their material and structural limitations. To clarify the correlations between the stability of AgNW-based electrodes and their intrinsic factors, AgNW electrodes with PET (polyethylene terephthalate) substrates and AgNW electrodes with PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) substrates were prepared using vacuum filtration and substrate transfer methods. The effects of the intrinsic parameters of AgNW electrodes, including the bonding strength between AgNWs and flexible substrates, AgNW surface densities, and AgNW network connections on the stability of AgNW-based electrodes were investigated. It was found that the stability of AgNW-based electrodes is strongly dependent on the encapsulation of flexible substrates, the surface density of AgNWs, and the curing strength of AgNW network junctions. PVA-AgNW electrodes have much higher stability than PET-AgNWs because PVA substrates can encapsulate AgNWs and protect AgNWs from external damage. Modifying the surface of AgNW electrodes with graphene oxide (GO) can also significantly improve the thermal and light stability of AgNW electrodes because the covering of GO can strengthen the underlying AgNW connecting junctions.