An eco-friendly nitrate-free method for the synthesis of silver nanowires with reduced diameters

With outstanding transparent conductive performance, silver nanowires (Ag NWs) are of great importance. But the environmentally hazardous nitrogen oxide gases and explosion risks involved in the current major synthesis of Ag NWs increase the production costs and hinder applications. Here we report a nitro-free strategy for the green production of Ag NWs with a diameter of ∼23 nm. Using AgOAc as a nitrate-free silver precursor, our approach not only avoids the introduction of polluting nitrate and the generation of noxious gases, but also reduces the diameters of the final products. The optoelectronic performance of the as-prepared Ag NW film presents a sheet resistance of ∼100 Ω sq−1 at a transmittance of 95% with a haze factor of ∼0.43%, comparable to that of commercial products. Our Ag NWs are capable of being processed into transparent conductive films (TCFs) and used as the top electrode in alternating current electroluminescent devices (ACELDs). This green and safe approach paves the way to commercial applications of Ag NWs in the future.