Highly oxidation-resistant silver nanowires by C x F y polymers using plasma treatment

: We demonstrate plasma-treated Ag nanowires (NWs) as flexible transparent electrode materials with enhanced long-term stability against oxidation even in a high humidity environment (80% humidity, 20 °C). Through a simple fluorocarbon (C4F8 or C4F6) plasma treatment method, a C x F y protective polymer was sufficiently cross-linked and attached on the surface of the AgNWs strongly and uniformly. Even though C4F8 and C4F6 activate differently on the AgNW surface due to the different dissociated radicals formed in the plasma, it was found that the C x F y protective polymers obtained by both chemicals work similarly as a protective layer for transparent conductive electrodes; a nearly constant sheet resistance ratio (R s/R o) of 1.6 was found for AgNWs treated with C4F8 and C4F6 plasmas, while the AgNWs without the plasma treatment exhibited a ratio of 176.2 after 36 days in a harsh environment. It is believed that the fluorocarbon plasma treatment can be used as a key method for ensuring long-term oxidation stability in numerous electronic applications including flexible solar cells utilizing various types of metallic nanowires.