High work function silver nanowire electrodes via ligand exchange reaction for stretchable organic thin-film transistors
Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are established as promising conductors for stretchable electronics, yet their application in p-type organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) is constrained by a substantial work function mismatch with the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of organic semiconductors, resulting in severe charge injection barriers and degraded device performance. This study addresses the bottleneck through a ligand exchange reaction on the AgNW surface using fluorinated molecules, combined with a post-treatment-free fabrication process. The ligand-exchanged AgNW electrodes exhibit a work function exceeding 5 eV, closely aligning with the HOMO level of the p-type polymer semiconductor poly(indacenodithiophene-co-benzothiadiazole) (IDT-BT). Consequently, IDT-BT-based OTFTs incorporating these electrodes demonstrate a reduced threshold voltage and enhanced carrier transport, achieving a hole mobility of 0.4 cm2 V−1 s−1. Critically, the ligand exchange does not compromise mechanical deformability; the devices retain their original mobility after being subjected to 30% strain. These results validate the ligand-exchange strategy as an effective route for work function tuning of AgNW electrodes, enabling high-performance stretchable organic electronics without sacrificing mechanical resilience.