Robust and smooth UV-curable layer overcoated AgNW flexible transparent conductor for EMI shielding and film heater

Highly robust and smooth silver nanowire flexible transparent electrodes (AgNW FTEs) with UV-curable polymeric resin as an overcoating layer were fabricated via successive Mayer rod method followed by UV light curing process, and the mechanical and chemical stabilities, electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) and film-heating property of the resultant overcoated AgNW FTEs were investigated. The results show that the fabricated AgNW FTEs with overcoating layer has a smooth surface with a root-mean-square (RMS) surface roughness value of 1.07 nm, and the overcoating layer generates a slight decrease of sheet resistance of AgNW FTEs from 8.1 to 7.9 Ω/sq, and the transmittance of 91.3% at 550 nm maintains basically. The overcoated AgNW FTE shows high mechanical and chemical stabilities, and the opto-electrical properties do not spoil after 10 times of scratching or 30 times of wiping or dipping into Na2S solution for 600 s. The overcoated AgNW FTEs possesses an EMI SE of 28.1 dB, and a heating temperature of 93.5 °C in 30 s on 12 V even after inputting and turning off the voltage for 30 times with a duration of 4 h. It indicates that the overcoated AgNW FTEs has great potential application in the fields of EMI shielding and film heater.