Fabrication of Stretchable AgNW-PU Transparent Conductive Films with Simultaneously Enhanced Low Resistance, High Transparency, and Superior Thermal Stability

Transparent conductive films (TCFs) are becoming increasingly important in the development of efficient and stretchable optoelectronic devices, where the key raw material imparting these excellent properties is silver nanowires (AgNWs). Herein, using copper chloride as a reactive additive, AgNWs with a higher aspect ratio, improved uniformity, and high purity are synthesized. Using the AgNWs as conductive materials and polyurethane (PU) as the transparent substrate, AgNWs-PU TCFs with outstanding optoelectronic properties are prepared using the pumping-filtration transfer method. The TCFs’ sheet resistance is as low as 14.9 Ω sq −1 and still shows good conductivity after 4000 times bending, transmittance at λ = 550 nm is 83%, and the optoelectronic properties remain unchanged until 140 °C, indicating their excellent heat temperature resistance. Furthermore, AgNWs-PU TCFs demonstrate a smaller contact angle, lower surface roughness, and greater uniformity than that of commercial indium tin oxide (ITO), even during the electrodeposition. The deposition of Prussian blue on these substrates evidences these advantageous properties, providing greater possibilities for developing flexible color-changing devices, especially electrochromic glass.