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Zarei M, Li M, Medvedeva EE, Sharma S, Kim J, Shao Z, Walker SB, LeMieux M, Liu Q, Leu PW. Flexible Embedded Metal Meshes by Sputter-Free Crack Lithography for Transparent Electrodes and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2024; 16:6382-6393. [PMID: 38279914 PMCID: PMC10859897 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c16405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
A facile and novel fabrication method is demonstrated for creating flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)-embedded silver meshes using crack lithography, reactive ion etching (RIE), and reactive silver ink. The crack width and spacing in a waterborne acrylic emulsion polymer are controlled by the thickness of the polymer and the applied stress due to heating and evaporation. Our innovative fabrication technique eliminates the need for sputtering and ensures stronger adhesion of the metal meshes to the PET substrate. Crack trench depths over 5 μm and line widths under 5 μm have been achieved. As a transparent electrode, our flexible embedded Ag meshes exhibit a visible transmission of 91.3% and sheet resistance of 0.54 Ω/sq as well as 93.7% and 1.4 Ω/sq. This performance corresponds to figures of merit (σDC/σOP) of 7500 and 4070, respectively. For transparent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, the metal meshes achieve a shielding efficiency (SE) of 42 dB with 91.3% visible transmission and an EMI SE of 37.4 dB with 93.7% visible transmission. We demonstrate the highest transparent electrode performance of crack lithography approaches in the literature and the highest flexible transparent EMI shielding performance of all fabrication approaches in the literature. These metal meshes may have applications in transparent electrodes, EMI shielding, solar cells, and organic light-emitting diodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Zarei
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Mingxuan Li
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Elizabeth E. Medvedeva
- Department
of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Sooraj Sharma
- Department
of Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Jungtaek Kim
- Department
of Industrial Engineering, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Zefan Shao
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - S. Brett Walker
- Electroninks
Incorporated, Austin, Texas 78744, United States
| | - Melbs LeMieux
- Electroninks
Incorporated, Austin, Texas 78744, United States
| | - Qihan Liu
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Paul W. Leu
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
- Department
of Industrial Engineering, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
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2
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Wu Z, Xing X, Sun Y, Liu Y, Wang Y, Li S, Wang W. Flexible Transparent Electrode Based on Ag Nanowires: Ag Nanoparticles Co-Doped System for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes. Materials (Basel) 2024; 17:505. [PMID: 38276445 PMCID: PMC10817252 DOI: 10.3390/ma17020505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Flexible organic light-emitting diodes (FOLEDs) have promising potential for future wearable applications because of their exceptional mechanical flexibility. Silver nanowire (Ag NW) networks are the most promising candidates to replace indium tin oxide (ITO), which is limited by its poor bendability. In this study, three different methods including methanol impregnation, argon plasma treatment, and ultraviolet radiation were used to reduce the junction resistance of Ag NWs to optimize the flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs); which were prepared using Ag NWs and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS). Then, the optoelectronic properties of the FTEs were further improved by using a co-doped system of silver nanowires and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), the structure of which consisted of PET/Ag NWs: Ag NPs/PEDOT: PSS/DMSO. The largest FOM value of 1.42 × 10-2 ohm-1 and a low sheet resistance value of 13.86 ohm/sq were obtained using the optimized FTEs. The prepared FOLED based on the optimized FTEs had a luminous efficiency of 6.04 cd/A and a maximum EQE of 1.92%, and exhibited no observed decline in efficiency when reaching maximum luminance. After 500 bending tests, the luminance still reached 82% of the original value. It is demonstrated that the FTEs prepared via the co-doped system have excellent optoelectronic properties as well as high mechanical stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziye Wu
- School of Physical Science and Information Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China; (Z.W.); (X.X.); (Y.S.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Communication Science and Technology, Liaocheng 252059, China
| | - Xiaolin Xing
- School of Physical Science and Information Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China; (Z.W.); (X.X.); (Y.S.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Communication Science and Technology, Liaocheng 252059, China
| | - Yingying Sun
- School of Physical Science and Information Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China; (Z.W.); (X.X.); (Y.S.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Communication Science and Technology, Liaocheng 252059, China
| | - Yunlong Liu
- School of Physical Science and Information Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China; (Z.W.); (X.X.); (Y.S.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Communication Science and Technology, Liaocheng 252059, China
| | - Yongqiang Wang
- School of Physical Science and Information Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China; (Z.W.); (X.X.); (Y.S.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Communication Science and Technology, Liaocheng 252059, China
| | - Shuhong Li
- School of Physical Science and Information Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China; (Z.W.); (X.X.); (Y.S.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Communication Science and Technology, Liaocheng 252059, China
| | - Wenjun Wang
- School of Physical Science and Information Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252059, China; (Z.W.); (X.X.); (Y.S.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Communication Science and Technology, Liaocheng 252059, China
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3
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Oh MJ, Son GC, Kim M, Jeon J, Kim YH, Son M. An Aqueous Process for Preparing Flexible Transparent Electrodes Using Non-Oxidized Graphene/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Solution. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2023; 13:2249. [PMID: 37570566 PMCID: PMC10421273 DOI: 10.3390/nano13152249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we prepared flexible and transparent hybrid electrodes based on an aqueous solution of non-oxidized graphene and single-walled carbon nanotubes. We used a simple halogen intercalation method to obtain high-quality graphene flakes without a redox process and prepared hybrid films using aqueous solutions of graphene, single-walled carbon nanotubes, and sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant. The hybrid films showed excellent electrode properties, such as an optical transmittance of ≥90%, a sheet resistance of ~3.5 kΩ/sq., a flexibility of up to ε = 3.6% ((R) = 1.4 mm), and a high mechanical stability, even after 103 bending cycles at ε = 2.0% ((R) = 2.5 mm). Using the hybrid electrodes, thin-film transistors (TFTs) were fabricated, which exhibited an electron mobility of ~6.7 cm2 V-1 s-1, a current on-off ratio of ~1.04 × 107, and a subthreshold voltage of ~0.122 V/decade. These electrical properties are comparable with those of TFTs fabricated using Al electrodes. This suggests the possibility of customizing flexible transparent electrodes within a carbon nanomaterial system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jae Oh
- Artificial Intelligence & Energy Research Center, Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI), Gwangju 61007, Republic of Korea (J.J.)
| | - Gi-Cheol Son
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Minkook Kim
- Artificial Intelligence & Energy Research Center, Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI), Gwangju 61007, Republic of Korea (J.J.)
| | - Junyoung Jeon
- Artificial Intelligence & Energy Research Center, Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI), Gwangju 61007, Republic of Korea (J.J.)
| | - Yong Hyun Kim
- Artificial Intelligence & Energy Research Center, Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI), Gwangju 61007, Republic of Korea (J.J.)
| | - Myungwoo Son
- Artificial Intelligence & Energy Research Center, Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI), Gwangju 61007, Republic of Korea (J.J.)
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4
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Abstract
Flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) have been widely witnessed in various printable electronic devices, especially those involving light. So far, solution processes have demonstrated increasing advantages in preparing FTEs not only in their mild operation conditions and high-throughput but also in the diversity in micropatterning conductive nanomaterials into networks. For the FTEs, both high transparency and high conductivity are desirable, which therefore create requirements for the conductive network by considering the trade-off relationship between the coverage and the micropatterns of the network. In addition, the conductive networks also affect the flexibility of FTEs due to the deformation during bending/stretching. Consequently, solution processes capable of micropatterning conductive nanomaterials including nanoparticles, nanowires/polymers, and graphene/MXene play a crucial role in determining the performance of FTEs. Here, we reviewed recent research progress on solution-processed FTEs, including the solution processes, the solution-processable conductive nanomaterials and the substrates for making FTEs, and applications of FTEs in flexible electronics. Finally, we proposed several perspective outlooks of the FTEs, which aim at not only the enhanced performance but also the performances in extreme conditions and in integration. We believe that the review would offer inspiration for developing functional FTEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Meng
- Ji Hua Laboratory, Foshan 528000, Guangdong, P.R. China
- Research Institute for Frontier Science, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Bojie Xu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Ji Qin
- Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Kejie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Huan Liu
- Ji Hua Laboratory, Foshan 528000, Guangdong, P.R. China
- Research Institute for Frontier Science, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
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5
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Ding S, Zhang S, Yin T, Zhang H, Wang C, Wang Y, Li Q, Zhou N, Su F, Jiang Z, Tan D, Yang R. Room-temperature nanojoining of silver nanowires by graphene oxide for highly conductive flexible transparent electrodes. Nanotechnology 2022; 34:045201. [PMID: 36265462 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac9c09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Flexible transparent electrodes for touch panels, solar cells, and wearable electronics are in great demand in recent years, and the silver nanowire (AgNW) flexible transparent electrode (FTE) is among the top candidates due to its excellent light transmittance and flexibility and the highest conductivity of silver among all metals. However, the conductivity of an AgNWs network has long been limited by the large contact resistance. Here we show a room-temperature solution process to tackle the challenge by nanojoining AgNWs with two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO). The conductivity of the AgNWs network is improved 18 times due to the enhanced junctions between AgNWs by the coated GOs, and the AgNW-GO FTE exhibits a low sheet resistance of 23 Ohm sq-1and 88% light transmittance. It is stable under high temperature and current and their flexibility is intact after 1000 cycles of bending. Measurements of a bifunctional electrochromic device shows the high performance of the AgNW-GO FTE as a FTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Ding
- School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, People's Republic of China
| | - Shucheng Zhang
- School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, People's Republic of China
| | - Tong Yin
- School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, People's Republic of China
| | - He Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenxi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Wang
- School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, People's Republic of China
| | - Qikun Li
- School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Zhou
- School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengyu Su
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi Jiang
- Innovative Center for Flexible Devices (iFLEX), School of Materials Science and Engineering Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore
| | - Dan Tan
- School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, People's Republic of China
| | - Rusen Yang
- School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, People's Republic of China
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6
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Feng X, Wang L, Huang YYS, Luo Y, Ba J, Shi HH, Pei Y, Zhang S, Zhang Z, Jia X, Lu B. Cost-Effective Fabrication of Uniformly Aligned Silver Nanowire Microgrid-Based Transparent Electrodes with Higher than 99% Transmittance. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:39199-39210. [PMID: 35976981 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c09672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Silver nanowire (Ag NW)-based transparent electrodes (TEs) are promising alternatives to indium tin oxide (ITO) for next-generation flexible optoelectronic devices. Although many different constructs of Ag NW networks and post-treatment methods have been developed for TE applications, trade-offs between optical and electrical performance still remain. Herein, aided by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing, we present a cost-effective strategy to fabricate aligned Ag NW microgrids in a large area with excellent uniformity, resulting in superior optoelectronic properties. Guided by the percolation theory and simulation, we demonstrated that by confining aligned Ag NWs into a microgrid arrangement, the percolation threshold can be reduced significantly and adequate electrical conducting pathways can be achieved with an optimized combination of sheet resistance and optical transparency, which surpass conventional random Ag NW networks and random aligned Ag NW networks. The resulting TEs exhibit an ultrahigh transmittance of 99.1% at a sheet resistance of 91 Ω sq-1 with extremely low nanowire usage, an areal mass density of only 8.3 mg m-2, and uniform spatial distribution. Based on this TE design, we demonstrated transparent heaters exhibiting rapid thermal response and superior uniformity in heat generation. Using UV-curable epoxy, highly flexible Ag NW-embedded TEs were fabricated with superior mechanical stabilities and low surface roughness of 2.6 nm. Bendable organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are directly fabricated on these flexible Ag NW electrodes, with higher current efficiency (27.7 cd A-1) than ITO devices (24.8 cd A-1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueming Feng
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Li Wang
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
- National Innovation Institute of Additive Manufacturing, Xi'an 710000, P. R. China
| | | | - Yu Luo
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Jiahao Ba
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - HaoTian Harvey Shi
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, U.K
| | - Yuechen Pei
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Shuyuan Zhang
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Zhaofa Zhang
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Xibei Jia
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Bingheng Lu
- Micro- and Nano-technology Research Center, State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
- National Innovation Institute of Additive Manufacturing, Xi'an 710000, P. R. China
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Raman V, Rhee D, Selvaraj AR, Kim J, Prabakar K, Kang J, Kim HK. High-performance flexible transparent micro-supercapacitors from nanocomposite electrodes encapsulated with solution processed MoS 2 nanosheets. Sci Technol Adv Mater 2021; 22:875-884. [PMID: 34658671 PMCID: PMC8519527 DOI: 10.1080/14686996.2021.1978274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets have emerged as a promising material for transparent, flexible micro-supercapacitors, but their use in electrodes is hindered by their poor electrical conductivity and cycling stability because of restacking. In this paper, we report a novel electrode architecture to exploit electrochemical activity of MoS2 nanosheets. Electrochemically exfoliated MoS2 dispersion was spin coated on mesh-like silver networks encapsulated with a flexible conducting film exhibiting a pseudocapacitive behavior. MoS2 nanosheets were electrochemically active over the whole electrode surface and the conductive layer provided a pathway to transport electrons between the MoS2 and the electrolyte. As the result, the composite electrode achieved a large areal capacitance (89.44 mF cm-2 at 6 mA cm-2) and high energy and power densities (12.42 µWh cm-2 and P = 6043 µW cm-2 at 6 mA cm-2) in a symmetric cell configuration with 3 M KOH solution while exhibiting a high optical transmittance of ~80%. Because the system was stable against mechanical bending and charge/discharge cycles, a flexible micro-supercapacitor that can power electronics at different bending states was realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivekanandan Raman
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Dongjoon Rhee
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | | | - Jihyun Kim
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Kandasamy Prabakar
- School of Electrical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Joohoon Kang
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Han-Ki Kim
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
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8
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Zhai X, Dong P, Wang W, Jia J, Hu L, Feng G. Rapid nanowelding of silver nanowires by focused-light-scanning for high-performance flexible transparent electrodes. Nanotechnology 2021; 32:505208. [PMID: 34571500 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac2a83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Silver nanowires (AgNWs) have been considered as one of the most promising flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) material for next-generation optoelectronic devices. However, the large contact resistance between AgNWs could deteriorate the conductivity of FTEs. In the present work, high-performance AgNWs FTEs were obtained by means of focused-light-scanning (FLS), which could lead to the large-area, rapid and high-quality welding between AgNWs within a short time, forming the reliable and stable AgNWs network. The results of the optoelectronic tests show that after FLS, the sheet resistance of the AgNWs FTEs sharply decreased from 5113 Ω/sq to 7.7 Ω/sq, with maintaining a high transmittance (∼94%). Finally, a high-performance flexible transparent heater was fabricated by using FLS, showing reach a relatively high temperature in a short response time and rapid response at low input voltage. The findings offer an effective pathway to greatly improve the conductivity of AgNWs FTEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhai
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Dong
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxian Wang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Jia
- Instrumental Analysis Center, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, People's Republic of China
| | - Lifang Hu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, People's Republic of China
| | - Guodong Feng
- Joint Institute for Advanced Materials, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States of America
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, People's Republic of China
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9
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Wang Y, Li M, Fan B, Wong YS, Lo CY, Kwok CKG, Shil SK, Yip HL, Jen AKY, Tsang SW, Yu KM. Flexibility of Room-Temperature-Synthesized Amorphous CdO-In 2O 3 Alloy Films and Their Application as Transparent Conductors in Solar Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:43795-43805. [PMID: 34464077 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c14722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Due to their low-temperature deposition, high mobility (>10 cm2/V·s), and electrical conductivity, amorphous ionic oxide semiconductors (AIOSs) have received much attention for their applications in flexible and/or organic electro-optical devices. Here, we report on a study of the flexibility of CdO-In2O3 alloy thin films, deposited on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate by radio frequency magnetron sputtering at room temperature. Cd1-xInxO1+δ alloys with the composition of x > 0.6 are amorphous, exhibiting a high electron mobility of 40-50 cm2/V·s, a low resistivity of ∼3 × 10-4 Ω·cm, and high transmittance over a wide spectral window of 350 to >1600 nm. The flexibility of both crystalline and amorphous Cd1-xInxO1+δ films on the PET substrate was investigated by measuring their electrical resistivity after both compressive and tensile bending with a range of bending radii and repeated bending cycles. Under both compressive and tensile bending with Rb = 16.5 mm, no significant degradation was observed for both the crystalline and amorphous films up to 300 bending cycles. For a smaller bending radius, the amorphous film shows much less electrical degradation than the crystalline films under compressive bending due to less film delamination at the bending sites. On the other hand, for a small bending radius (<16 mm), both crystalline and amorphous films degrade after repeated tensile bending, most likely due to the development of microcracks in the films. To demonstrate the application of amorphous Cd1-xInxO1+δ alloy in photovoltaics, we fabricated perovskite and bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells (OSCs) on glass and flexible PET utilizing amorphous Cd1-xInxO1+δ layers as transparent electrodes. The organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) exhibit a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ∼11 to 12% under both front and back illumination, demonstrating good bifacial performance with bifaciality factor >90%. The OSCs fabricated on an amorphous Cd1-xInxO1+δ-coated flexible PET substrate achieve a promising PCE of 12.06%. Our results strongly suggest the technological potentials of amorphous Cd1-xInxO1+δ as a reliable and effective transparent conducting material for flexible and organic optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Menglin Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Baobing Fan
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Yeung Sum Wong
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Chung Yan Lo
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Cheuk Kai Gary Kwok
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Sujit Kumer Shil
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Hin-Lap Yip
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Alex K-Y Jen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Sai-Wing Tsang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Kin Man Yu
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
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10
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Ma C, Liu H, Teng C, Li L, Zhu Y, Yang H, Jiang L. Wetting-Induced Fabrication of Graphene Hybrid with Conducting Polymers for High-Performance Flexible Transparent Electrodes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2020; 12:55372-55381. [PMID: 33236880 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c15734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Graphene has attracted extensive attention for the supply of electrically conductive, optically transparent, and mechanical robust electrodes for flexible optoelectrical devices, as an alternative to commercial indium tin oxide, due to its superior mechanical, electrical, and optical properties. However, conventional chemical vapor deposition is impeded by harsh conditions and complicated processes, and it is still a challenge to fabricate high-performance graphene transparent electrode in a facile and scalable solution-processable route. Herein, a wetting-induced scalable solution-processable approach to fabricate graphene hybrid with conductive ionogel and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), i.e., graphene/ionogel@PEDOT:PSS (G/Ionogel@PEDOT:PSS), for high-performance flexible transparent electrode (FTE) is reported, achieving a low sheet resistance of 30 Ω sq-1 and a high transmittance of 88% at 550 nm. The as-fabricated trinary hybrid FTE as both transparent electrode and electrochromic layer is applied to a compact indium tin oxide (ITO)-free three-layered flexible electrochromic device, showing fast switching response, good electrochromic contrast, and reliable stability. Our work enables a scalable solution-processable approach for the generation of graphene-based FTE and functional devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuao Ma
- College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, P. R. China
| | - Hongliang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, P. R. China
| | - Chao Teng
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, P. R. China
| | - Li Li
- College of Materials Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, P. R. China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, P. R. China
| | - Hua Yang
- College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, P. R. China
| | - Lei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
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11
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Chen X, Xu G, Zeng G, Gu H, Chen H, Xu H, Yao H, Li Y, Hou J, Li Y. Realizing Ultrahigh Mechanical Flexibility and >15% Efficiency of Flexible Organic Solar Cells via a "Welding" Flexible Transparent Electrode. Adv Mater 2020; 32:e1908478. [PMID: 32103580 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201908478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of flexible organic solar cells (OSCs) still lag behind those of rigid devices and their mechanical stability is unable to meet the needs of flexible electronics at present due to the lack of a high-performance flexible transparent electrode (FTE). Here, a so-called "welding" concept is proposed to design an FTE with tight binding of the upper electrode and the underlying substrate. The upper electrode consisting of solution-processed Al-doped ZnO (AZO) and silver nanowire (AgNW) network is well welded by utilizing the capillary force effect and secondary growth of AZO, leading to a reduction of the AgNWs junction site resistance. Meanwhile, the poly(ethylene terephthalate) is modified by embedding the AgNWs, which are then used to link with the AgNWs in the upper hybrid electrode, thus enhancing the adhesion of the electrode to the substrate. By this welding strategy, critical bottleneck issues relating to the FTEs in terms of optoelectronic and mechanical properties are comprehensively addressed. The single-junction flexible OSCs based on this welded FTE show a high performance, achieving a record high PCE of 15.21%. In addition, the PCEs of the flexible OSCs are less influenced by the device area and display robust bending durability even under extreme test conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobin Chen
- Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Guiying Xu
- Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Guang Zeng
- Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, 696 Fenghe Avenue, Nanchang, 330063, China
| | - Hongwei Gu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Haiyang Chen
- Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Haitao Xu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, 696 Fenghe Avenue, Nanchang, 330063, China
| | - Huifeng Yao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yaowen Li
- Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Jianhui Hou
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yongfang Li
- Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
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12
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Zhang YX, Fang J, Li W, Shen Y, Chen JD, Li Y, Gu H, Pelivani S, Zhang M, Li Y, Tang JX. Synergetic Transparent Electrode Architecture for Efficient Non-Fullerene Flexible Organic Solar Cells with >12% Efficiency. ACS Nano 2019; 13:4686-4694. [PMID: 30892869 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b00970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Flexible organic solar cells (OSCs) are considered one key component in wearable, intelligent electronics due to the unique capacity for highly flexible renewable energy sources. However, it is urgently required to enhance their efficiency, as it is far inferior to that of their conventional, glass-based counterparts. To boost the performance of flexible OSCs on plastic substrates, we here present a synergetic transparent electrode structure, which combines electrically conductive silver nanowires, a sol-gel-derived ZnO planarization layer, and imprinted light-trapping nanostructures. This synergetic composite electrode exhibits good properties in terms of optical transparency, electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and low-temperature processability. As a result, the single-junction non-fullerene-based flexible OSCs achieve a power conversion efficiency exceeding 12% due to the synergetic interplay between broadband light trapping and suppressed charge recombination loss. Moreover, these flexible OSCs are repeatedly bendable in both inward and outward bending directions, retaining over 60% of the initial efficiency after 1000 cycles of the bending test at a 3.0 mm radius. These results convey a clear depiction of the practicality of flexible OSCs in a variety of high-performance flexible applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue-Xing Zhang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , Jiangsu , China
| | - Jin Fang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , Jiangsu , China
| | - Wei Li
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , Jiangsu , China
| | - Yang Shen
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , Jiangsu , China
| | - Jing-De Chen
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , Jiangsu , China
| | - Yanqing Li
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , Jiangsu , China
| | - Hongwei Gu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , Jiangsu , China
| | - Sara Pelivani
- School of Physics , Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin , Dublin 2 , Ireland
| | - Maojie Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , Jiangsu , China
| | - Yongfang Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , Jiangsu , China
| | - Jian-Xin Tang
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices , Soochow University , Suzhou 215123 , Jiangsu , China
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13
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Ma LP, Dong S, Chen M, Ma W, Sun D, Gao Y, Ma T, Cheng HM, Ren W. UV-Epoxy-Enabled Simultaneous Intact Transfer and Highly Efficient Doping for Roll-to-Roll Production of High-Performance Graphene Films. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2018; 10:40756-40763. [PMID: 30394723 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b13686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Flexible graphene transparent conductive films (TCFs) prepared by chemical vapor deposition hold great promise for next-generation wearable optoelectronic devices, but the lack of low-cost scalable intact transfer and highly efficient doping greatly limits their commercialization. Here, we report a UV-epoxy adhesive as a robust multifunctional layer for the low-cost scalable production of high-performance flexible graphene TCF. Its high solvent stability, sufficient adhesion force, and conformal contact with graphene enable the intact bubbling transfer of graphene. More importantly, a highly strong and stable p-dopant, superacid HSbF6, is in situ generated from UV-epoxy. HSbF6 substantially increases the hole concentration of pristine graphene by more than 10 times and consequently reduces its sheet resistance by up to 95% with high stability. Furthermore, it can be readily integrated with the roll-to-roll transfer process. These features enable continuous production of graphene TCFs with overall performances superior to those produced by common transfer methods and typical dopants. As an example, we demonstrate the use of this film in the capacitive multitouch panel of tablet computers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai-Peng Ma
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science , Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 72 Wenhua Road , Shenyang 110016 , PR China
| | - Shichao Dong
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science , Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 72 Wenhua Road , Shenyang 110016 , PR China
| | - Maolin Chen
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science , Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 72 Wenhua Road , Shenyang 110016 , PR China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Science and Technology of China , 72 Wenhua Road , Shenyang 110016 , PR China
| | - Wei Ma
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science , Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 72 Wenhua Road , Shenyang 110016 , PR China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Science and Technology of China , 72 Wenhua Road , Shenyang 110016 , PR China
| | - Dongming Sun
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science , Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 72 Wenhua Road , Shenyang 110016 , PR China
| | - Yang Gao
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science , Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 72 Wenhua Road , Shenyang 110016 , PR China
| | - Teng Ma
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science , Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 72 Wenhua Road , Shenyang 110016 , PR China
| | - Hui-Ming Cheng
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science , Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 72 Wenhua Road , Shenyang 110016 , PR China
| | - Wencai Ren
- Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science , Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 72 Wenhua Road , Shenyang 110016 , PR China
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14
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Chang L, Zhang X, Ding Y, Liu H, Liu M, Jiang L. Ionogel/Copper Grid Composites for High-Performance, Ultra-Stable Flexible Transparent Electrodes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2018; 10:29010-29018. [PMID: 30080390 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b09023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Production of high-performance and stable low-cost copper (Cu)-based flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) is urgently needed for the development of new-generation flexible optoelectronic devices, but it still remains challenging. Herein, we developed a facile approach to fabricate high-performance, ultra-stable Cu grid (CuG)-based FTEs by UV lithography-assisted electroless deposition of patterned Cu on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is then encapsulated by a thin poly(1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide) (P[VEIM][NTf2]) ionogel layer to improve the mechanical flexibility and stability. The as-prepared composite FTE (ionogel/CuG@PET) exhibits a sheet resistance of 10.9 Ω sq-1 and optical transmittance of 90% at 550 nm. Introduction of the thin uniform P[VEIM][NTf2] ionogel nanofilm by virtue of the superwettability of the Cu layer endows the electrode with excellent mechanical flexibility and stability. This new high-performance Cu-based FTE should be an attractive alternative to indium tin oxide for practical optoelectrical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province and Department of Chemistry , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou 730000 , P. R. China
| | - Xiqi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , P. R. China
| | - Yi Ding
- Beijing National Laboratory of Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Organic Solid, Institute of Chemistry , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , P. R. China
| | - Hongliang Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , P. R. China
| | - Mingzhu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province and Department of Chemistry , Lanzhou University , Lanzhou 730000 , P. R. China
| | - Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , P. R. China
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15
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Zhao G, Shen W, Jeong E, Lee SG, Yu SM, Bae TS, Lee GH, Han SZ, Tang J, Choi EA, Yun J. Ultrathin Silver Film Electrodes with Ultralow Optical and Electrical Losses for Flexible Organic Photovoltaics. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2018; 10:27510-27520. [PMID: 30028116 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b08578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Improving the wetting ability of Ag on chemically heterogeneous oxides is technically important to fabricate ultrathin, continuous films that would facilitate the minimization of optical and electrical losses to develop qualified transparent Ag film electrodes in the state-of-the-art optoelectronic devices. This goal has yet to be attained, however, because conventional techniques to improve wetting of Ag based on heterogeneous metallic wetting layers are restricted by serious optical losses from wetting layers. Herein, we report on a simple and effective technique based on the partial oxidation of Ag nanoclusters in the early stages of Ag growth. This promotes the rapid evolution of the subsequently deposited pure Ag into a completely continuous layer on the ZnO substrate, as verified by experimental and numerical evidence. The improvement in the Ag wetting ability allows the development of a highly transparent, ultrathin (6 nm) Ag continuous film, exhibiting an average optical transmittance of 94% in the spectral range 400-800 nm and a sheet resistance of 12.5 Ω sq-1, which would be well-suited for application to an efficient front window electrode for flexible solar cell devices fabricated on polymer substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wenfei Shen
- Academy of Hybrid Materials, National Base of International Science & Technology Cooperation on Hybrid Materials , Qingdao University , Qingdao 266071 , People's Republic of China
| | | | - Sang-Geul Lee
- Daegu Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Daegu 41566 , Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Min Yu
- Jeonju Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Jeonju , Jeonbuk 54907 , Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Sung Bae
- Jeonju Center , Korea Basic Science Institute , Jeonju , Jeonbuk 54907 , Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Jianguo Tang
- Academy of Hybrid Materials, National Base of International Science & Technology Cooperation on Hybrid Materials , Qingdao University , Qingdao 266071 , People's Republic of China
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16
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Zhao G, Song M, Chung HS, Kim SM, Lee SG, Bae JS, Bae TS, Kim D, Lee GH, Han SZ, Lee HS, Choi EA, Yun J. Optical Transmittance Enhancement of Flexible Copper Film Electrodes with a Wetting Layer for Organic Solar Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2017; 9:38695-38705. [PMID: 29039201 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b10234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of highly efficient flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) supported on polymer substrates is of great importance to the realization of portable and bendable photovoltaic devices. Highly conductive, low-cost Cu has attracted attention as a promising alternative for replacing expensive indium tin oxide (ITO) and Ag. However, highly efficient, Cu-based FTEs are currently unavailable because of the absence of an efficient means of attaining an atomically thin, completely continuous Cu film that simultaneously exhibits enhanced optical transmittance and electrical conductivity. Here, strong two-dimensional (2D) epitaxy of Cu on ZnO is reported by applying an atomically thin (around 1 nm) oxygen-doped Cu wetting layer. Analyses of transmission electron microscopy images and X-ray diffraction patterns, combined with first-principles density functional theory calculations, reveal that the reduction in the surface and interface free energies of the wetting layers with a trace amount (1-2 atom %) of oxygen are largely responsible for the two-dimensional epitaxial growth of the Cu on ZnO. The ultrathin 2D Cu layer, embedded between ZnO films, exhibits a highly desirable optical transmittance of over 85% in a wavelength range of 400-800 nm and a sheet resistance of 11 Ω sq-1. The validity of this innovative approach is verified with a Cu-based FTE that contributes to the light-to-electron conversion efficiency of a flexible organic solar cell that incorporates the transparent electrode (7.7%), which far surpasses that of a solar cell with conventional ITO (6.4%).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hee-Suk Chung
- Jeonju Center, Korea Basic Science Institute , Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54907, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Min Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University , Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Geul Lee
- Daegu Center, Korea Basic Science Institute , Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Seong Bae
- Busan Center, Korea Basic Science Institute , Busan 46742, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Sung Bae
- Jeonju Center, Korea Basic Science Institute , Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54907, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghwan Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University , Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Hae-Seok Lee
- KU-KIST Green School, Graduate School of Energy and Environment, Korea University , Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
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17
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Liu Y, Zhang J, Gao H, Wang Y, Liu Q, Huang S, Guo CF, Ren Z. Capillary-Force-Induced Cold Welding in Silver-Nanowire-Based Flexible Transparent Electrodes. Nano Lett 2017; 17:1090-1096. [PMID: 28094950 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b04613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Silver nanowire (AgNW) films have been studied as the most promising flexible transparent electrodes for flexible photoelectronics. The wire-wire junction resistance in the AgNW film is a critical parameter to the electrical performance, and several techniques of nanowelding or soldering have been reported to reduce the wire-wire junction resistance. However, these methods require either specific facilities, or additional materials as the "solder", and often have adverse effects to the AgNW film or substrate. In this study, we show that at the nanoscale, capillary force is a powerful driving force that can effectively cause self-limited cold welding of the wire-wire junction for AgNWs. The capillary-force-induced welding can be simply achieved by applying moisture on the AgNW film, without any technical support like the addition of materials or the use of specific facilities. The moisture-treated AgNW films exhibit a significant decrease in sheet resistance, but negligible changes in transparency. We have also demonstrated that this method is effective to heal damaged AgNW films of wearable electronics and can be conveniently performed not only indoors but also outdoors where technical support is often unavailable. The capillary-force-based method may also be useful in the welding of other metal NWs, the fabrication of nanostructures, and smart assemblies for versatile flexible optoelectronic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- Department of Physics and TcSUH, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Jianming Zhang
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Southern University of Science & Technology , Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Heng Gao
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Southern University of Science & Technology , Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Southern University of Science & Technology , Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Qingxian Liu
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Southern University of Science & Technology , Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Siya Huang
- Department of Physics and TcSUH, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Chuan Fei Guo
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Southern University of Science & Technology , Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Zhifeng Ren
- Department of Physics and TcSUH, University of Houston , Houston, Texas 77204, United States
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18
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Huang CH, Wang YY, Lu TH, Li YC. Flexible Transparent Electrode of Hybrid Ag-Nanowire/Reduced-Graphene-Oxide Thin Film on PET Substrate Prepared Using H2/Ar Low-Damage Plasma. Polymers (Basel) 2017; 9:polym9010028. [PMID: 30970702 PMCID: PMC6431900 DOI: 10.3390/polym9010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We employ H₂/Ar low-damage plasma treatment (H₂/Ar-LDPT) to reduce graphene oxide (GO) coating on a polymer substrate-polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-with the assistance of atomic hydrogen (Hα) at low temperature of 70 °C. Four-point probing and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy demonstrate that the conductivity and transmittance can be controlled by varying the H₂/Ar flow rate, treatment time, and radio-frequency (RF) power. Optical emission spectroscopy reveals that the Hα intensity depends on these processing parameters, which influence the removal of oxidative functional groups (confirmed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) to yield reduced GO (rGO). To further improve the conductivity while maintaining high transmittance, we introduce silver nanowires (AgNWs) between rGO and a PET substrate to obtain a hybrid rGO/AgNWs/PET with a sheet resistance of ~100 Ω/sq and 81% transmittance. In addition, the hybrid rGO/AgNWs thin film also shows high flexibility and durability and is suitable for flexible and wearable electronics applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Hsien Huang
- Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, 84 Gungjuan Rd., Taishan Dist., New Taipei City 243, Taiwan.
| | - Yin-Yin Wang
- Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, 84 Gungjuan Rd., Taishan Dist., New Taipei City 243, Taiwan.
| | - Tsung-Han Lu
- Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, 84 Gungjuan Rd., Taishan Dist., New Taipei City 243, Taiwan.
| | - Yen-Cheng Li
- Material and Chemical Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, 195, Sec. 4, Chung Hsin Rd., Chutung, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
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19
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Dong H, Wu Z, Jiang Y, Liu W, Li X, Jiao B, Abbas W, Hou X. A Flexible and Thin Graphene/Silver Nanowires/Polymer Hybrid Transparent Electrode for Optoelectronic Devices. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2016; 8:31212-31221. [PMID: 27790912 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b09056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A typical thin and fully flexible hybrid electrode was developed by integrating the encapsulation of silver nanowires (AgNWs) network between a monolayer graphene and polymer film as a sandwich structure. Compared with the reported flexible electrodes based on PET or PEN substrate, this unique electrode exhibits the superior optoelectronic characteristics (sheet resistance of 8.06 Ω/□ at 88.3% light transmittance). Meanwhile, the specific up-to-bottom fabrication process could achieve the superflat surface (RMS = 2.58 nm), superthin thickness (∼8 μm thickness), high mechanical robustness, and lightweight. In addition, the strong corrosion resistance and stability for the hybrid electrode were proved. With these advantages, we employ this electrode to fabricate the simple flexible organic light-emitting device (OLED) and perovskite solar cell device (PSC), which exhibit the considerable performance (best PCE of OLED = 2.11 cd/A2; best PCE of PSC = 10.419%). All the characteristics of the unique hybrid electrode demonstrate its potential as a high-performance transparent electrode candidate for flexible optoelectronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Dong
- Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Zhaoxin Wu
- Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Yaqiu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Weihua Liu
- Departmen of Microelectronics, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Xin Li
- Departmen of Microelectronics, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Bo Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University , Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Waseem Abbas
- Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
| | - Xun Hou
- Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an 710049, P. R. China
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Xiong W, Liu H, Chen Y, Zheng M, Zhao Y, Kong X, Wang Y, Zhang X, Kong X, Wang P, Jiang L. Highly Conductive, Air-Stable Silver Nanowire@Iongel Composite Films toward Flexible Transparent Electrodes. Adv Mater 2016; 28:7167-72. [PMID: 27296551 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201600358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
A new type of flexible transparent electrode is designed, by employing wettability-induced selective electroless-welding of silver nanowire (AgNW) networks, together with a thin conductive iongel as the protective layer. The obtained electrode exhibits high optical transmittance, and excellent air-stability without sacrificing conductivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Xiong
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Hongliang Liu
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yongzhen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Meiling Zheng
- Laboratory of Organic NanoPhotonics and Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhao
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
- Laboratory of Organic NanoPhotonics and Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Smart Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Xiangbin Kong
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Ying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Xiqi Zhang
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Xiangyu Kong
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Pengfei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
| | - Lei Jiang
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interface Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China
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