Enhanced scratch resistance of silver nanowire electrodes using a polyether acrylate and silica composite overcoating

초록

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are a promising electrode material for next-generation flexible/wearable electronics; however, the industrial use of AgNWs is limited owing to their poor resistance to scratch damage. In this study, a UV-curable polyether acrylate resin and silica composite (PAR) was adopted as an overcoating material on the AgNW electrodes to improve the scratch resistance. The simple formation of PAR overcoating on the AgNW electrodes was possible because of its UV-curable characteristics. In addition, nanoscale silica particles in PAR blocked the penetration of the scratching tip through PAR overcoating, thereby protecting the AgNWs from scratch damage. The PAR-coated AgNW electrodes showed excellent scratch resistance, with no significant degradation in optical transmittance, sheet resistance, and figure of merit. The strategy of using UV-curable PAR composite overcoating will accelerate the actual usage of AgNW electrodes in flexible electronics.

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