Enhancing conductivity and near-infrared optical transparency of transparent conductive electrodes through Ag nanowire incorporation and DMSO post-treatment

Abstract

Exploring the enhancement of PEDOT:PSS transparent conductive films through the incorporation of silver nanowires (AgNWs) and a highly effective yet simplified post-treatment strategy using a single-step dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) spin-coating process. The improvement in conductivity was attributed to the optimal AgNW blending ratio and the beneficial effects of post-treatment on film composition, as revealed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). UV–Vis transmittance measurements demonstrated improved optical transparency in the near-infrared (NIR) range, attributed to the enhanced film morphology achieved through DMSO treatment. We conducted a thorough investigation across a wide composition range (0%–80% AgNWs). The optimal configuration, comprising 50% AgNWs with DMSO post-treatment, achieved the highest conductivity of 3227 S cm−1. The transmittance uniformity is defined as the flatness of the transmittance spectrum across the NIR band. A film with superior uniformity exhibits a smaller decrease in transmittance over the wavelength range of interest. We are the first to systematically optimize for and achieve exceptional NIR transmittance uniformity, with a minimal decrease of only 8.9% across this broad band, remaining above 83% at 1800 nm. These findings demonstrate a viable approach for developing high-performance transparent conductive electrodes with enhanced electrical and optical properties, suitable for NIR-based optoelectronic devices.