AgNWs-graphene transparent conductor for heat and sensing applications

Despite various research efforts, the realization of ideal flexible, transparent and highly stable conductors have not been made possible so far in future technologies. Here we report the fabrication of spin-coated metal-graphene network with high-performance properties, reduced sheet resistance (≈20.58 Ω/□), optimum transmittance (≈86%), lower surface roughness ≈14.8 nm), and excellent long-term reliability with heating up to ≈280 °C. In addition, the transparent electrode exhibits remarkable sensing response towards molecular ammonia gas. These features arise from a bridging of the metal nanowire network with graphene nanoplatelets, which provides, a protective sheet for metal nanowires, additional conducting channels that bridges the closely located loose metal nanowires increasing the thermal stability and mobility of carriers in graphene. The sensing response arises from the presence of AgNWs bridges that causes a decrement in high energy binding sites and increment in low binding energies sites in graphene. Further development of this strategy will thus pave a way toward next-generation hybrid TCFs devices serving dual performance for wearable thermotherapy flexible electronics and chemical sensor devices.