The performance of transparent silver nanowire (AgNW) electrodes can be improved by using thin coatings of two-dimensional assemblies of amino-terminal oligoglycines (denoted as tectomers), which causes a ~50% sheet resistance decrease for AgNW electrodes with initial resistivities of 100 Ω/sq, while largely retaining the electrodes’ high transparency. Tectomer coatings also remarkably impart enhanced hydrophobicity and protection against AgNW degradation under ambient conditions. Additionally, these coatings are pH-sensitive, and their rich surface chemistry enables opening new perspectives on the fabrication of AgNW electrodes with (bio)sensor functionalities. In this work, we report on the laser patterning of AgNW electrodes biofunctionalized with tectomer coatings. A pulsed, green laser (532nm) was utilized to create non-conductive paths, 12 to 50 μm in width, and the conditions were tuned to avoid the damage of the substrate materials: glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for rigid and flexible electrodes, respectively. The electron transport properties, transparency, and durability of the resulting interdigitated electrodes were characterized, and their potential applications in optoelectronics will be discussed.

1 figure.-- Abstract of the talk delivered at the 2021 Spring Meeting of the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS), Virtual Conference, from May 31st to June 3rd, 2021.