One-pot rapid synthesis of high aspect ratio silver nanowires for transparent conductive electrodes

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) with high aspect ratio were rapidly one-pot synthesized by a polyol process in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a stabilizer as well as the anisotropic agent, and the corresponding transparent conductive films were prepared by spin-coating method. The effects of PVP molecular weight and concentration on the morphology and aspect ratio of AgNWs were investigated in detail, and the optoelectrical properties of the transparent conductive films were briefly introduced. The presence of PVP induces the growth of silver directed to form high aspect-ratio nanowires by a high anisotropic mode. Appropriate PVP molecular weight and concentration allows the rapid synthesis of AgNWs with the diameter of about 78.2 nm, the length of 79.52 μm and the aspect ratio as high as 1009.2. The as-prepared AgNWs films possess a transmittance of 81.6% and a sheet resistance of 11.36 Ω/sq. The resultant AgNWs with high aspect ratio can be applied to prepare transparent conductive electrodes.