Positive impact of cellulose nanofibrils on silver nanowire coatings for transparent conductive films

Abstract

A hybrid cellulose nanofibril (CNF)–silver nanowire stable suspension has been used as a coating for providing transparent flexible conductive films (TCFs). Homogeneous transparent conductive coatings were obtained on polymeric substrates. Investigations on the opto-electrical properties of films show that the addition of CNFs has no impact on film conductivity and transparency as compared to the values obtained for a neat nanowire film. Performances combining a sheet resistance of 13 ± 3 Ω □⁻¹ with a transparency of 90.1 ± 0.5% at 550 nm were achieved without any additional post-treatment to the film. Additional evaluation of the impact of CNFs on film properties has also revealed that the presence of CNFs allows for the production of TCFs with enhanced adhesion and higher stability towards environmental conditions.