UV-induced plasma welding and interface customization strategy of cellulose nanofiber/silver nanowire composite electrode for advanced flexible photoelectric applications

Abstract

Significant advancements in flexible photoelectric devices have been achieved through extensive research on flexible transparent conductive electrodes (FTCEs) based on silver nanowires (AgNWs). However, two key challenges that need to be addressed are the high contact resistance of AgNWs and poor interface adhesion between AgNWs and the flexible substrate. In this study, we present a composite electrode comprising polydopamine-grafted cellulose nanofibers (PDA-TCNF) and AgNWs, fabricated through an interface customization strategy combined with UV-induced plasma welding. To enhance interfacial crosslinking, N, N-bis(acryloyl)cysteamine (BACA) was introduced as a surface adsorbate for AgNWs. The composite electrode exhibited rapid plasma welding of AgNWs under low-intensity UV irradiation. The optimized PDA-TCNF/AgNW-S/3 electrode demonstrated a sheet resistance of 7.26 Ω sq.⁻¹ with a remarkable light transmittance of 85.7 %. The interface customization strategy facilitated enhanced diffusion of silver atoms at AgNW junctions during UV-induced heating, thereby strengthening their welding capability. These electrodes serve as high-performance FTCEs for electroluminescent devices and transparent electric heaters. Our work proposes a simple method to fabricate superior FTCEs by integrating nanocellulose with AgNWs, offering a promising environmentally friendly material for flexible optoelectronic applications.