In situ mechanical characterization of silver nanowire/graphene hybrids films for flexible electronics

Abstract

Flexible transparent conductive films are indispensable for nowadays wearable electronic devices with various applications. However, existing solutions such as ITO and metal mesh were limited by their poor intrinsic stretching ability. In this work, we designed and fabricated silver nanowires (AgNWs) on graphene hybrid films for enhanced mechanical and electrical performance. In situ TEM characterizations show that, beside conductive paths, silver nanowire network, can also contribute to the toughening mechanisms of the hybrid films. Furthermore, bending and electrical tests were applied to examine the corresponding flexible electronics’ performance. Finally, we showed that the fabrication of our AgNW/graphene hybrid films could be scaled up for large film applications and extended to other 1D/2D hybrid systems.