Research Projects

The use of solution processed flexible transparent electrodes is becoming increasingly important in next-generation electronics, such as flexible solar cells, wearable sensors, photo detectors, organic light emitting diodes, and touch screens. Indium tin oxide (ITO) is no longer the preferred transparent electrode due to its brittle nature and cracking in less than 1% of strain. Other materials with potential replacements include silver nanowire films, graphene, carbon nanotube, and conductive polymers. AgNW composite-based transparent electrodes have significant potential due to their high conductivity and transparency. However, these films have not been widely used due to poor adhesion with substrates, network roughness, and poor air and thermal stability. This proposal aims to fabricate AgNW-metal oxides core-shell structure-based flexible transparent electrodes with excellent air and thermal stability and high conductance. By coating the core of solution processed AgNWs with stable materials like TiO2, V2O5, or WO3, the core-shell structure can be embedded into a polymer matrix, resulting in a highly stable and flexible transparent electrode. TiO2, V2O5, and WO3 oxides can increase air and thermal stability when coated on AgNWs. The polymer precursor solution, deposited on a glass substrate pre-coated with AgNWs and metal oxide sol solution, fills gaps between nanowire pores, minimizing roughness, and creating a highly flexible, transparent, and conductive transparent electrode containing plastic embedded with the AgNW-metal oxide core-shell structure. The prepared AgNW-metal oxide core-shell structure can be applied to fabricate transparent heaters, wearable electronics, and OLEDs, demonstrating its functionality.