Silver Nanowire Random Networks for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Abstract

Transparent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials are critical for next-generation wearable and foldable electronics. Silver nanowire (Ag NW) networks offer a promising solution due to their high conductivity, optical transparency and mechanical flexibility. However, the design of high-performance Ag NW films remains largely empirical, lacking a predictive model that accounts for the coupled effects of nanowire geometry, network topology and interfacial imperfections on EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) and optical transmittance. Herein, we develop an integrated simulation-experiment framework to systematically investigate random Ag NW networks across a wide parameter space. And we quantify the role of interwire connectivity by introducing the number of conductive junctions (nodes) as a key topological descriptor, revealing that SE scales nonlinearly with node density and saturates beyond a percolation threshold. Our simulations reveal not only the classical trade-off between SE and transmittance but also nonmonotonic dependencies: an optimal nanowire length of [Formula: see text]m maximizes SE at fixed coverage, while diameter exhibits a threshold effect ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]nm) where bulk conductivity compensates for reduced connectivity. Critically, by incorporating junction resistance — a key nonideal factor ignored in prior models — the simulated EMI SE deviates from experimental values by less than 10[Formula: see text]dB. This work establishes actionable design principles for transparent EMI shields and underscores that interfacial engineering is as vital as morphology control in nanowire-based functional networks.