Nanometer-Thick Gold Nanowire Films with Spider-Web-Like Morphology as Transparent Conductors for Wearable Devices

Ultrathin gold nanowires (AuNWs) play an important role in wearable devices, biological detection, and other fields. However, their applications in transparent conduction are limited due to high junction resistance caused by the oleyamine (OAm) ligand and structural instability caused by Rayleigh instability. A treatment method has been proposed to eliminate these two defects via a hydrogen sulfide (H2S) atmosphere and heat treatment. The nanowires are subjected to heat treatment in a hydrogen sulfide atmosphere, which induces the nanowires to fracture into gold particles (AuNPs) and evolve into a stable spider-web-like structure. As a result, the conductivity of the treated film is significantly improved, reaching 65 Ω/sq at 120 °C, 50 min, and 1000 ppm of H2S. The electrical properties of the film can be maintained for more than one month. This method suggests a promising approach to ultrathin AuNWs for excellent improvement of electronic conduction and stability, which can be used in wearable devices.