Silver-decorated reduced graphene oxides as novel building blocks for transparent conductive films

We report that silver-decorated reduced graphene oxide (Ag-rGO) hybrid sheets are excellent building blocks for transparent conductive films (TCFs). Unlike rGO films that exhibit large sheet resistances, Ag-rGO films are much more conductive. By tuning the silver content, Ag-rGO film can achieve a sheet resistance as low as 56 Ω sq⁻¹ at ∼80% transparency, which is at least two orders of magnitude lower than that of rGO films. A significant increase in conductivity can be qualitatively explained by heavy electron doping of individual rGO sheets and “percolation” doping of the entire rGO film by silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Analysis of the electro-optical performance indicates that the hybrid film is even far superior to single-walled carbon nanotube networks. In addition to their highly conductive nature, Ag-rGO hybrid films are flexible and environmentally stable, making them attractive for flexible device applications under severe conditions. Further optimization in the synthesis and fabrication schemes may lead to better TCFs with performances comparable to indium-doped tin oxide.