Transfer printing of silver nanowire conductive ink for e-textile applications

Abstract Electrical conductivity of a textile is a necessity for e-textile devices as well as functionality such as electromagnetic shielding and static dissipation. Here, sheet resistances as low as 3 Ω sq ⁻¹ are achieved by transfer printing films of silver nanowire networks onto the surface of fabrics. Because the nanowires are only 40 nm thick and the film is an open mesh rather than a continuous film, the coating is lightweight, more mechanically flexible than other conductive fabrics, and at sparser nanowire densities does not obstruct the pattern of the textile underneath. The open spaces in the mesh structure also allow adhesive to permeate through the film, permitting the coating to be applied through an easy, industrially compatible transfer printing process. It is demonstrated that the coating can be patterned and used as device interconnections, and has the ability to shield electromagnetic radiation and heat fabric.