Flexible transparent conductors based on metal nanowire networks

Abstract

Few conductors are transparent and flexible. Metals have the best electrical conductivity, but they are opaque and stiff in bulk form. However, metals can be transparent and flexible when they are very thin or properly arranged on the nanoscale. This review focuses on the flexible transparent conductors based on percolating networks of metal. Specifically, we discuss the fabrication, the means to improve the electrical conductivity, the large stretchability and its mechanism, and the applications of these metal networks. We also suggest some criteria for evaluating flexible transparent conductors and propose some new research directions in this emerging field.

Electrical limit of silver nanowire electrodes: Direct measurement of the nanowire junction resistance

“…State-of-the-art metal nanowire networks (NWs) exhibit low sheet resistance R S as well as high transmittance. 1 Therefore, these networks have been implemented as transparent conducting electrodes in various optoelectronic devices, in particular, in small molecule or polymer-based solar cells and light emitting diodes. [1][2][3] Currently, they allow the fabrication of flexible lab-scale devices showing performance parity with devices comprising the considerably more brittle and sputter-deposited indium tin oxide (ITO).…”

“…1 Therefore, these networks have been implemented as transparent conducting electrodes in various optoelectronic devices, in particular, in small molecule or polymer-based solar cells and light emitting diodes. [1][2][3] Currently, they allow the fabrication of flexible lab-scale devices showing performance parity with devices comprising the considerably more brittle and sputter-deposited indium tin oxide (ITO). 4 Still, one important challenge is to further decrease the corresponding R S of AgNW networks, since future products are expected to be fabricated on large area and curved substrates.…”

A template/electrochemical deposition method for fabricating silver nanorod arrays based on porous anodic alumina

“…[1][2][3][4] Many researchers have focused on fabrication of 1-D different shape noble metal nanostructures such as nanowire, nanorod, nanosphere, nanocube, and shapecontrollable nanostructure. [5][6][7][8] Silver nanostructures with excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, optical property, biocompatibility, antibacterial property, and large specific surface area were applied in many fields, [9][10][11][12] such as wearable electronic devices, 13 liquid crystal display, 14 solar cell, 15 strain sensing, 16 gas sensing, 17 biological sensing, 18 optics, 19 surface-enhanced Raman scattering, 20 and the catalytical electrode 21 and others. Usually, synthesis methods of silver nanostructure are composed of chemical and physical categories including polyol method, 22 solvothermal method, 23 ultraviolet irradiation method, 24 photoreduction method, 25 electrochemical method, 26 porous material template method, [27][28][29][30] and wet chemical method.…”

Sintering of Ultrathin Gold Nanowires for Transparent Electronics

“…6 Silver nanowires (AgNWs) 7 and copper nanowires (CuNWs) 8 networks have been extensively studied and are now commercially competing with ITO. 9 Since their first synthesis in 2007, ultrathin gold nanowires (AuNWs) with diameters below 2 nm 10-13 and high aspect ratios (>1000) have attracted great interest due to their mechanical flexibility 14,15 and high optical transparency. 16 Gold is more stable towards chemical degradation than silver and copper while its conductivity achieves comparable values.…”