ABSTRACT
Currently, electromagnetic shielding materials need to meet the characteristics of lightweight, high transmittance, and robust conductivity. Silver nanowires (AgNWs) have progressively found applications in recent years owing to their excellent aspect ratio, conductivity, and flexibility. The properties of AgNWs vary with different aspect ratios, and the length and diameter of AgNWs often exert diverse influences on the photoelectric properties of conductive films. In this study, we combined AgNWs with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and employed a directional stacking arrangement method to apply AgNWs onto the PET substrate, investigating the properties of four distinct aspect ratios of AgNWs (1000, 750, 625, and 531). Ultimately, the prepared four films achieved electromagnetic shielding capabilities ranging from 26.6 dB to 32.8 dB, with a transmittance range of 89.8% to 94.6%, showing excellent electromagnetic shielding properties. Moreover, the prepared films showed an exceedingly low roughness value (RMS = 7.07 nm), remarkable flexibility, and superior oxidation resistance with the facilitation of HPMC. The films also showed exceptional electrothermal conversion prowess, achieving saturation temperature within a mere 8 seconds, thereby displaying a rapid thermal response. Furthermore, when a voltage of 4 V was applied, the temperature of the thin film remained essentially constant for a duration of 2500 seconds, highlighting its admirable thermal stability, which is of great significance for the development of flexible and transparent electromagnetic shielding materials in the future.
ABSTRACT
Silver nanowire (AgNW) networks have excellent optoelectronic properties and have important applications in various optoelectronic devices. However, the random distribution of AgNWs coated on the substrate will cause problems such as uneven resistance and high surface roughness, which will affect the properties of the film. In order to solve these problems, this paper adopts the method of directional arrangement of AgNWs to prepare conductive films, by mixing AgNW aqueous solution with hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) to prepare conductive ink, and then the AgNWs are oriented on the flexible substrate by using the shear force generated during the Mayer rod coating process. The multilayer crossed three-dimensional (3D) AgNW conductive network is prepared, achieving a sheet resistance of 12.9 Ω sq-1 and a transmittance of 92.2% (λ = 550 nm). In addition, the roughness RMS value of the layered and ordered AgNW/HPMC composite film is only 6.96 nm, which is much lower than that of the randomly arranged AgNW film (RMS = 19.8 nm), and the composite film also has excellent bending resistance and environmental stability. This adjustable coating method is simple to prepare and can realize the large-scale manufacturing of conductive films, which is important for the future development of flexible transparent conductive films.
