Well-Ordered and High Density Coordination-Type Bonding to Strengthen Contact of Silver Nanowires on Highly Stretchable Polydimethylsiloxane.

Recently, Ag nanowires (AgNWs) has had a great interest as a conducting material for flexible and transparent devices, but it still shows several problems such as the ultimate detachment of AgNWs from substrate and a high contact resistance on AgNW junctions. Therefore, the novel concept to enhance permanent and closed attachment of AgNWs by silane modification to polydimethylsilaoxane (PDMS) substrate well known as high stretchable film with extremly low adhesive is suggested. According to this experiment, higher sigma (σ)-donating ability and hydrophilicity indicate better electrical and mechanical properties in real device. Especially, densely amine self-assembled PDMS surface exhibits the strongest contact force to the AgNWs, especially for junction side, and the longest maintenance of hydrophilicity by coordination-type bonding. In addition, AgNWs adhere permanently to stretchable substrates while simultaneously maintaining high transparency (87%) and high conductivity (27 Ω sq-1). Consequently, the resulting AgNW film shows excellent mechanical durability which includes enhanced performance of both flexibility and stretchability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]