Highly stretchable and transparent electrode film based on SWCNT/Silver nanowire hybrid nanocomposite

Highly stretchable, flexible, and transparent electrode films were fabricated based on a composite of silver nanowire (Ag NW) networks hybridized with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in a sandwich structure, wherein a Ag NW-SWCNT hybrid network electrode was embedded between layers of polydimethylsiloxane and transparent polyurethane films. When 0.025 wt% SWCNTs were hybridized with Ag NWs, a Ag NW-SWCNT network electrode, which had excellent optical properties (very low haze value of less than 1% and 95% transmittance) and a low sheet resistance value of 30 Ω/sq, was obtained through the effective electrical transportation of the NW-NW, CNT-NW, and CNT-CNT junctions. The fabricated film heaters showed environmental endurance, and no significant performance degradation was observed after the films were kept at a high temperature of 85 °C and humidity of 85%. They also exhibited high stretchability up to 20%. Effective Joule heating can increase the temperature of the electrode films (30 Ω/sq) up to 68 °C at a bias of 11 V.