Highly conductive and transparent Ag NWs/alcohol based PEDOT:PSS−PPGA hybrid film with improved water resistance

Abstract

2-dimentsional random network of silver (Ag) nanowires (NWs) can replace indium tin oxide owing to its good electrical and optical properties. However, an Ag NWs network has been known to be vulnerable to oxygen and/or moisture of atmospheric environments resulting in degradation of its electrical properties, and positive b* value (9.51) from characteristic yellowish color of Ag NWs may limit its potential applicability. In order to compensate these peculiarities, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) dispersed in water has been used to hybridize with Ag NWs. In this study, we exchanged the water in the conventional PEDOT:PSS for ethanol (EtOH) or ethylene glycol by using cross-flow nano-filtration system, exhibiting dramatical enhancement of the electrical properties and coating performance even on a hydrophobic substrates. Hybrid film consisting of the Ag NWs and EtOH based PEDOT:PSS showed clear improvements of electrical and optical properties, for examples, 7.4 % higher transmittance (89.70 %), negatively changed b* value of −1.81 indicating pale bluish color, and sheet resistance (RS) of 25 ± 5 Ω/□ than those of water based one. By using poly (propylene glycol) acrylate (PPGA), as a water resistance modifier, physical properties of the Ag NWs/EtOH based PEDOT:PSS−PPGA did not much change from those of Ag NWs/EtOH based PEDOT:PSS, whereas almost 7 times improved retention of the RS variation under atmospheric environments was observed indicating the key role of PPGA in hybridization of Ag NWs and PEDOT:PSS. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.