Flexible Transparent Conductive Films of Ag/Cr2O3 Core–Shell Nanowires as Electrodes for Electroluminescent Devices and Heaters

Due to their outstanding optoelectronic capabilities, silver nanowires (Ag NWs) are regarded as one of the potential substitutes for ITO electrodes. However, the high aspect ratio of Ag NWs leads to their poor stability in harsh environments and easy oxidation, which are far from the requirements of actual industrial production. Herein, we demonstrate a scalable solution approach for growing a Cr2O3 shell on the surface of Ag NWs, which is low cost, has short growth time, and can be prepared at low temperatures without vacuum. The covered Cr2O3 shells enhance the oxidative stability of the Ag NWs. The optoelectronic characteristics of Ag/Cr2O3 NW networks remain similar to the original performance Ag NW networks (for example, before covering: 14.8Ω/sq. at 89.4%, after encapsulating: 15.5 Ω/sq. at 89.8%), which indicates that the encapsulation of Cr2O3 shell enables the preservation of transparency and conductivity of Ag NW networks. More importantly, the Ag/Cr2O3 NWs maintain good oxidation resistance, thermal stability, and chemical stability under various harsh environments and demonstrated good mechanical stability and flexibility by bending and fatigue tests. Finally, flexible electroluminescent devices and heaters are fabricated from Ag/Cr2O3 NWs transparent conductive films to verify the practicality of Ag/Cr2O3 NWs.