Silk fibroin and ultra-long silver nanowire based transparent, flexible and conductive composite film and its Temperature-Dependent resistance

Abstract A transparent, conductive, smooth, and temperature sensitive thin films was fabricated and characterized in this paper. Silk fibroin could be processed into transparent thin films, which can act as ideal opto-electronic substrates. As pure silk fibroin film is nonconductive, ultra-long silver nanowires coating and platinum sputtering were used to strengthen its conductivity. Ultra-long nanowires were used to reduce the junctions between wires, and platinum was to improve the conductivity of the film. The new nanowire-metal-organic composite film possesses excellent conductivity and good transmittance. The composite films containing different silver nanowires exhibit conductivities of as low as 6.9 Ω/sq, and transmittance of 60–80% in the visible light range. The films also showed potentials in practical applications as their resistance is almost linearly temperature-dependent. It also can transfer power to electrical devices. The new composite films could be expected to function in wearable electronics or implantable devices and sensors.