Solvothermal synthesis of ultra-fine silver nanowires with a diameter about 20 nm and an aspect ratio approximately 2000 for highly conductive flexible transparent film

Flexible transparent conductive films (TCFs) based on silver nanowires (AgNWs) networks have been widely researched as an alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO) for optoelectronic devices. However, AgNW-based TCFs still involve issues such as high haze and poor transmittance for practical application. The innovation point of our work is the synthesis of ultra-fine and high aspect ratio AgNWs, and they are developed to prepare high-performance AgNW-based TCFs. In this study, a rapid and rationally designed method to synthesize ultra-fine AgNWs through dual ionic assistants assisted has been explored. As a result, the as-synthesized AgNWs have a uniform ~ 20 nm diameter, and a high aspect ratio of 2000, which are the minimum diameter and maximum aspect ratio among the values reported previously for solvothermal-processed AgNWs. A highly transparent and bendable AgNW-based conductive film shows a 97.71% transmittance and a haze of 1.49% under the condition of disregarding the transmittance and haze of bare PET substrate. The sheet resistance (R_sheet) of the resulting AgNW-based conductive film is ~ 15 Ω sq^–1. Most importantly, the AgNW-based conductive film exhibits strong adhesion to the substrate. The advanced and wide-ranging features of the as-prepared AgNW-based conductive film greatly contribute to its use as a transparent conductive film in multifunctional flexible optoelectronic devices.