All-Metal Flexible Fiber by Continuously Assembling Nanowires for High Electrical Conductivity

Fiber electronics booms as a new important field but is currently limited by the challenge of finding both highly flexible and conductive fiber electrodes. Here, all-metal fibers based on nanowires are discovered. Silver nanowires are continuously assembled into robust fibers by salt-induced aggregation and then firmly stabilized by plasmonic welding. The nanowire network structures provide them both high flexibility with moduli at the level of MPa and conductivities up to 10⁶ S m^-1. They also show excellent electrochemical properties such as low impedance and high electrochemically active surface area. Their stable chronic single-neuron recording is further demonstrated with good biocompatibility in vivo. These new fiber materials may provide more opportunities for the future development of fiber electronics.