Facile and fast preparation of a tung oil-based bendable transparent electrode with mechanical strength and environmental stability via infiltration of silver nanowires into oxygen-inhibited surface layers

Abstract

To fabricate mechanically strong and environmentally stable bendable transparent electrodes (BTEs), conventional methods often involve complicated and harsh process conditions to improve the interface adhesion between the conductor and substrate. Herein, we report a facile and one-step method to prepare BTEs by embedding conductive silver nanowires (AgNWs) in polymer substrates (PAMETs), which were obtained by UV-curing of tung oil-based resins and exhibited ultra-high mechanical strength (tensile strength ∼ 80 MPa) together with high light transmittance (>90%). PAMETs can be thermally reprocessed without additional catalysts and without significantly sacrificing their original mechanical properties (76.6%, ∼60 MPa). The surface of PAMETs was not fully cured due to the presence of oxygen inhibition, allowing the deposited AgNWs to penetrate into the substrate and complete the curing under the action of heat, thus eliminating complicated treatment of the substrate surface and AgNWs. The BTEs had low surface roughness (15.4 nm), superior opto-electrical properties, and excellent resistance to extreme environments. The conductivity was maintained during harsh cycling tests (over 24 h of ultrasonication, 500 wiping test tests, and 1000 adhesion tests), indicating the strong adhesion between AgNWs and the substrate. Using the AgNW embedded electrode, a transparent heater is demonstrated with a rapid response time (15 s), long-term heating stability (30 min) and quick de-icing (140 s). More importantly, the proposed technique provides a cost-effective and environment friendly fabrication strategy for high-performance BTEs and can be extended to various nanomaterials.