Solution-grown ultrathin Al2O3 nanoshells for stabilizing silver nanowire transparent conductive electrodes

Silver nanowire (Ag NW) networks are promising candidates for next-generation transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs), but their practical applications are restricted by rapid oxidation and sulfidation under ambient conditions. In this work, a simple solution-phase strategy is developed to stabilize Ag NW networks through the spontaneous interfacial growth of an ultrathin Al 2 O 3 nanoshell on the nanowire surface. By introducing trace amounts of Al 3+ ions, a conformal ∼1 nm Al 2 O 3 coating is formed under ambient conditions without the need for vacuum deposition. The Al 2 O 3 @Ag NW networks retain excellent optoelectronic performance, exhibiting a transmittance of 89.5% and a sheet resistance of 13 Ω/sq, while showing markedly improved resistance to chemical corrosion, sulfidation, and ultraviolet-ozone oxidation. The ultrathin oxide layer has little influence on the electrical conductivity and mechanical flexibility of the nanowire network. In addition, transparent heaters based on the Al 2 O 3 @Ag NW electrodes exhibit rapid thermal response and stable electrothermal behavior. This paper provides a simple and scalable surface-engineering strategy for improving the stability of metal nanowire networks for transparent conductive applications.