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AgNWs-a-TiOx: a scalable wire bar coated core–shell nanocomposite as transparent thin film electrode for flexible electronics applications

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Abstract

Flexible electronic devices entail highly transparent and conducting electrodes with excellent adherent and mechanically robust properties along with excellent bendability. Here, we report the development of transparent and conducting electrodes comprising silver nanowires (AgNWs) and amorphous-titanium oxide (a-TiOx) nanocomposite thin films. The AgNWs and a-TiOx nanocomposite thin films were deposited by a wire bar coating process, a scalable and high throughput procedure. PXRD analysis confirmed the crystalline and amorphous nature for AgNWs and TiOx thin film, respectively. FE-SEM and HRTEM analyses revealed the core–shell nature of the composite where AgNWs and a-TiOx acted as core and shell, respectively. Even after three-layer coating of AgNWs-a-TiOx nanocomposite thin films, high transparency (~ 77%) in the visible region (400–800 nm) and a sheet resistance of 23 Ω/sq were observed. Furthermore, tape peel off tests were conducted for AgNWs and AgNWs-a-TiOx nanocomposite, which displayed high adherence for the three-layer coated AgNWs-a-TiOx nanocomposite as compared with AgNWs alone. The formation of AgNWs-a-TiOx core–shell structure enhances the intra-particle binding and network formation of AgNWs. The preliminary studies highlight that the developed AgNWs-a-TiOx nanocomposite thin films have great potential as transparent electrodes for realizing scalable cost-effective flexible electronic devices.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Department of Science and Technology-Science and Engineering Research Board, Government of India for financial support under the early career research award (File No. ECR/2016/000785). The author (SMA) thanks to Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP-2020/29), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The author T. S. is thankful to PSG Son’s and Charities Fellowship for providing financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Materials and Devices Laboratory, PSG Institute of Advanced Studies, Coimbatore, 641004, India

    S. Arulkumar, T. Senthilkumar & S. Parthiban

  2. Plasmonic Nanomaterials Laboratory, PSG Institute of Advanced Studies, Coimbatore, 641004, India

    Gnanaprakash Dharmalingam

  3. Division of Chemistry, Department of Sciences and Humanities, Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology and Research (VFSTR), Vadlamudi, Guntur, 522 213, Andhra Pradesh, India

    Anandarup Goswami

  4. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Saad M. Alshehri

  5. Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University, Šlechtitelu 27, 783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic

    Manoj B. Gawande

  6. Department of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai-Marathwada Campus, Jalna, Maharashtra, 431203, India

    Manoj B. Gawande

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  1. S. Arulkumar
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Arulkumar, S., Senthilkumar, T., Parthiban, S. et al. AgNWs-a-TiOx: a scalable wire bar coated core–shell nanocomposite as transparent thin film electrode for flexible electronics applications. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 32, 6454–6464 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-05362-2

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