Enhanced electrical conductivity of PEDOT-encapsulated silver nanowire film pretreated with surfactants

Flexible, transparent and conductive films (TCFs) were prepared with silver nanowires (AgNWs) and the conductivity was enhanced via tuning junction resistance between nanowires treated by different surfactants and encapsulated by poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). The results showed that the conductivity of AgNW TCFs was obviously enhanced after being immersed into surfactant solutions because the AgNWs would approach each other directly after dislocating away from polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and the junction resistance sharply decreased. Moreover, the transmittance of AgNW TCFs immersed into different surfactant solutions just decreased little because the halogen ions induced the formation of silver nanoparticles on the surface of AgNWs. Besides, the conductivity of AgNW TCFs encapsulated by PEDOT:PSS was also enhanced because the charges can transfer between PEDOT chains and AgNWs with the little decrease of optical transmittance. Graphical abstract The characterization of the electrical properties of AgNW TCFs and AgNWs/PEDOT:PSS films treated by different surfactants (CTAB, CTAC and OTAC).