Annealing-Free Solution-Processed Silver Nanowire-Polymer Composite Transparent Electrodes and Flexible Device Applications

By using ultrahigh aspect ratio (>2000:1) silver nanowires (AgNWs) and ethanol-diluted poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as the overcoating layer, we achieved flexible AgNW-polymer composite transparent electrodes of high conductivity and optical transmittance using facile solution processes at room temperature without annealing. The electrodes were applied in fabricating flexible capacitive pressure sensors and organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. The pressure sensor with the composite electrodes presents three times higher sensitivity than that using ITO electrodes. A flexible 4 × 4 sensor array was also fabricated, which well proved the capability of the electrodes for spatially electronic signal collection and transmission. The fabricated flexible OPV device has a power conversion efficiency of 1.83%, which proves the potential of the electrodes for multilayer integration in optoelectronic device applications.