Facile strategy for uniform gold coating on silver nanowires embedded PDMS for soft electronics

Abstract

Silver nanowires-embedded polydimethylsiloxane (AgNWs/PDMS) electrodes are promising components for various soft electronics, but face energy mismatch with organic semiconductors. Attempts at galvanic replacement, involving spontaneous gold (Au) formation on the electrodes, often result in non-uniform and particulate Au coatings, compromising device performance and stability. In this study, we introduce a novel approach for achieving a uniform and complete Au coating on AgNWs/PDMS electrodes by adding NaCl to the Au complex solution. This addition slows down the galvanic replacement process and prevents precipitation, enabling a uniform and complete Au coating on the AgNWs surface. Such coating significantly reduces contact resistance (RC), thereby enhancing the electrical characteristics of p-type organic transistors. Furthermore, the development of high-performance, fully soft organic transistors was achieved incorporating an organic semiconductor-elastomer blend. Additionally, reliable, mechanically stable soft glucose sensor was developed, taking advantage of the complete Au coating, which protects against oxidation during the glucose sensing process. © The Author(s) 2024.