Flexible transparent conducting films with embedded silver networks composed of bimodal-sized nanoparticles for heater application

• Published in: Nanotechnology 2018-06, Vol.29 (25), p.255302-255302
• Main Authors: Park, Ji Sun, Song, Yookyung, Park, Daseul, Kim, Yeon-Won, Kim, Yoon Jin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: bimodal size; heater; metal mesh; silver nanoparticle; transparent conducting electrode
• ISSN: 0957-4484; 1361-6528
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aabbc0

A facile one-pot synthetic method for preparing the Ag nanoparticle inks with a bimodal size distribution was newly devised and they were successfully employed as a conducting filler to form the metal-mesh type transparent conducting electrodes on the flexible substrate. Bimodal-sized Ag nanoparticles were synthesized through the polyol process, and their size variation was occurred via finely tuned composition ratio between Ag+ ions and polymeric capping agents. The prepared bimodal-sized Ag nanoparticles exhibited the form of well-dispersed Ag nanoparticle inks without adding any dispersants and dispersion process. By filling the patterned micro-channels engraved on the flexible polymer substrate using a bimodal-sized Ag nanoparticle ink, a metal-mesh type transparent electrode (transmittance: 90% at 550 nm, haze: 1.5, area: 8 × 8 cm2) was fabricated. By applying DC voltage to the mesh type electrode, a flexible transparent joule heater was successfully achieved with a performance of 4.5 °C s−1 heat-up rate at a low input power density.