High Power Conversion Efficiency of 13.61% for 1 cm2 Flexible Polymer Solar Cells Based on Patternable and Mass-Producible Gravure-Printed Silver Nanowire Electrodes

With the aim of developing high-performance flexible polymer solar cells, the preparation of flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) via a high-throughput gravure printing process is reported. By varying the blend ratio of the mixture solvent and the concentration of the silver nanowire (AgNW) inks, the surface tension, volatilization rate, and viscosity of the AgNW ink can be tuned to meet the requirements of gravure printing process. Following this method, uniformly printed AgNW films are prepared. Highly conductive FTEs with a sheet resistance of 10.8 Ω sq⁻¹ and a high transparency of 95.4% (excluded substrate) are achieved, which are comparable to those of indium tin oxide electrode. In comparison with the spin-coating process, the gravure printing process exhibits advantages of the ease of large-area fabrication and improved uniformity, which are attributed to better ink droplet distribution over the substrate. 0.04 cm² polymer solar cells based on gravure-printed AgNW electrodes with PM6:Y6 as the photoactive layer show the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.28% with an average PCE of 14.75 ± 0.35%. Owing to the good uniformity of the gravure-printed AgNW electrode, the highest PCE of 13.61% is achieved for 1 cm² polymer solar cells based on the gravure-printed FTEs.     

Uniformly Interconnected Silver‐Nanowire Networks for Transparent Film Heaters

The fabrication and design principles for using silver‐nanowire (AgNW) networks as transparent electrodes for flexible film heaters are described. For best practice, AgNWs are synthesized with a small diameter and network structures of the AgNW films are optimized, demonstrating a favorably low surface resistivity in transparent layouts with a high figure‐of‐merit value. To explore their potential in transparent electrodes, a transparent film heater is constructed based on uniformly interconnected AgNW networks, which yields an effective and rapid heating of the film at low input voltages. In addition, the AgNW‐based film heater is capable of accommodating a large amount of compressive or tensile strains in a completely reversible fashion, thereby yielding an excellent mechanical flexibility. The AgNW networks demonstrated here possess attractive features for both conventional and emerging applications of transparent flexible electrodes.     

Room‐Temperature Nanosoldering of a Very Long Metal Nanowire Network by Conducting‐Polymer‐Assisted Joining for a Flexible Touch‐Panel Application

As an alternative to the brittle and expensive indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent conductor, a very simple, room‐temperature nanosoldering method of Ag nanowire percolation network is developed with conducting polymer to demonstrate highly flexible and even stretchable transparent conductors. The drying conducting polymer on Ag nanowire percolation network is used as a nanosoldering material inducing strong capillary‐force‐assisted stiction of the nanowires to other nanowires or to the substrate to enhance the electrical conductivity, mechanical stability, and adhesion to the substrate of the nanowire percolation network without the conventional high‐temperature annealing step. Highly bendable Ag nanowire/conducting polymer hybrid films with low sheet resistance and high transmittance are demonstrated on a plastic substrate. The fabricated flexible transparent electrode maintains its conductivity over 20 000 cyclic bends and 5 to 10% stretching. Finally, a large area (A4‐size) transparent conductor and a flexible touch panel on a non‐flat surface are fabricated to demonstrate the possibility of cost‐effective mass production as well as the applicability to the unconventional arbitrary soft surfaces. These results suggest that this is an important step toward producing intelligent and multifunctional soft electric devices as friendly human/electronics interface, and it may ultimately contribute to the applications in wearable computers.     

Thermally Stable Silver Nanowire–Polyimide Transparent Electrode Based on Atomic Layer Deposition of Zinc Oxide on Silver Nanowires

The performance of a flexible transparent conductive electrode with extremely smooth topography capable of withstanding thermal processing at 300 °C for at least 6 h with little change in sheet resistance and optical clarity is reported. In depth investigation is performed on atomic layer deposition (ALD) deposited ZnO on Ag nanowires (NWs) with regard to thermal and atmospheric corrosion stability. The ZnO coated nanowire networks are embedded within the surface of a polyimide matrix, and the <2 nm roughness freestanding ­electrode is used to fabricate a white polymer light emitting diode (PLED). PLEDs obtained using the ZnO‐AgNW‐polyimide substrate exhibit comparable performance to indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass based devices, verifying its efficacy for use in optoelectronic devices requiring high processing temperatures.     

Highly Efficient and Bendable Organic Solar Cells with Solution‐Processed Silver Nanowire Electrodes

Highly efficient and bendable organic solar cells (OSCs) are fabricated using solution‐processed silver nanowire (Ag NW) electrodes. The Ag NW films were highly transparent (diffusive transmittance ≈ 95% at a wavelength of 550 nm), highly conductive (sheet resistance ≈ 10 Ω sq^?1), and highly flexible (change in resistance ≈ 1.1 ± 1% at a bending radius of ≈200 μm). Power conversion efficiencies of ≈5.80 and 5.02% were obtained for devices fabricated on Ag NWs/glass and Ag NWs/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), respectively. Moreover, the bendable devices fabricated using the Ag NWs/PET films decrease slightly in their efficiency (to ≈96% of the initial value) even after the devices had been bent 1000 times with a radius of ≈1.5 mm.     

Roll‐to‐Roll Printed Silver Nanowire Semitransparent Electrodes for Fully Ambient Solution‐Processed Tandem Polymer Solar Cells

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are deposited on flexible substrates using fast roll‐to‐roll (R2R) processing. The AgNW film on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) shows >80% uniform optical transmission in the range of 550–900 nm. This electrode is compared to the previously reported and currently widely produced indium‐tin‐oxide (ITO) replacement comprising polyethylene terephthalate (PET)|silver grid|poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)|ZnO known as Flextrode. The AgNW/ZnO electrode shows higher transmission than Flextrode above 490 nm in the electromagnetic spectrum reaching up to 40% increased transmission at 750 nm in comparison to Flextrode. The functionality of AgNW electrodes is demonstrated in single and tandem polymer solar cells and compared with parallel devices on traditional Flextrode. All layers, apart from the semitransparent electrodes which are large‐scale R2R produced, are fabricated in ambient conditions on a laboratory roll‐coater using printing and coating methods which are directly transferrable to large‐scale R2R processing upon availability of materials. In a single cell structure, Flextrode is preferable with active layers based on poly‐3‐hexylthiophene(P3HT):phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methylester (PCBM) and donor polymers of similar absorption characteristics while AgNW/ZnO electrodes are more compatible with low band gap polymer‐based single cells. In tandem devices, AgNW/ZnO is more preferable resulting in up to 80% improvement in PCE compared to parallel devices on Flextrode.     

High‐Performance Hazy Silver Nanowire Transparent Electrodes through Diameter Tailoring for Semitransparent Photovoltaics

Solution‐processed metal nanowire networks have attracted substantial attention as clear transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) to replace metal oxides for low‐cost and flexible touch panels and displays. While targeting photovoltaic applications, TCEs are expected to be more hazy for enhancing light absorption in the active layer, but are still required to retain high transmittance and low sheet resistance. Balancing these properties (haze, transmittance, and conductivity) in TCEs to realize high performance but high haze simultaneously is a challenge because they are mutually influenced. Here, by precisely tailoring the diameter of thick–long silver nanowires using rapid radial electrochemical etching, high hazy flexible TCEs are fabricated with high figure of merit of up to 741 (4 Ω sq^?1 at 88.4% transmittance with haze of 13.3%), surpassing those of commercialized brittle hazy metal oxides and exhibiting superiority for photovoltaic applications. Laminating such TCEs onto the perovskite solar cells as top electrodes, the obtained semitransparent devices exhibit power efficiencies up to 16.03% and 11.12% when illuminated from the bottom and top sides, respectively, outperforming reported results based on similar device architecture. This study provides a simple strategy for flexible and hazy TCEs fabrication, which is compatible with mild solution‐processed photovoltaic devices, especially those containing heat‐sensitive or chemical‐sensitive materials.     

Improved Operational Stability of Polymer Light‐Emitting Diodes Based on Silver Nanowire Electrode Through Pre‐Bias Conditioning Treatment

For the first time, highly efficient and flexible polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on silver nanowire (AgNW) electrode, with improved operational stability by simply applying pre‐bias conditioning treatment, are demonstrated. Reverse bias conditioning performed before J–V–L measurement of the PLEDs enables the rough AgNW networks to function properly as a bottom electrode by stabilizing current characteristics, and the devices continue to show consistent operational performances. Conditions of applied bias and thicknesses of active layer are controlled for optimization and it is found that high reverse voltage is required to obtain current stabilization. Adequate thickness of polymer is also necessary to avoid breakdown induced by reverse bias. The essential effect of pre‐bias conditioning on the improved performances of PLEDs is investigated, and it is found that morphological change of AgNW networks contribute to the improvement in device performance. Some of the AgNWs that appear to be pathway of leakage current are deformed, and surface roughness (RMS) of the AgNW film is decreased while the sheet resistance of the film is maintained when the reverse bias conditioning is applied. It is also revealed that pre‐bias conditioning is independent from directionality of the applied bias when utilizing insulating polymer sandwiched between two electrodes.     

Highly Conductive Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Based Electrodes Decorated by 3D Graphene and 1D Silver Nanowire for Flexible Supercapacitor

Ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) is considered one of the most promising materials for electric double layer capacitors (EDLC) given its low‐cost, high specific surface area, and easily accessed ordered pore channels. However, pristine OMC electrode suffers from poor electrical conductivity and mechanical flexibility, whose specific capacitance and cycling stability is unsatisfactory in flexible devices. In this work, OMC is coated on the surface of highly conductive three‐dimensional graphene foam, serving as both charge collector and flexible substrate. Upon further decoration with silver nanowires (Ag NWs), the novel architecture of Ag NWs/3D‐graphene foam/OMC (Ag‐GF‐OMC) exhibits exceptional electrical conductivity (up to 762 S cm^?1) and mechanical robustness. The Ag‐GF‐OMC electrodes in flexible supercapacitors reach a specific capacitance as high as 213 F g^?1, a value five‐fold higher than that of the pristine OMC electrode. Moreover, these flexible electrodes also exhibit excellent long‐term stability with >90% capacitance retention over 10 000 cycles, as well as high energy and power density (4.5 Wh kg^?1 and 5040 W kg^?1, respectively). This study provides a new procedure to enhance the device performance of OMC based supercapacitors, which is a promising candidate for the application of flexible energy storage devices.     

Hybrid Silver Nanowire and Graphene‐Based Solution‐Processed Transparent Electrode for Organic Optoelectronics

The research on transparent conductive electrodes is in rapid ascent in order to respond to the requests of novel optoelectronic devices. The synergic coupling of silver nanowires (AgNWs) and high‐quality solution‐processable exfoliated graphene (EG) enables an efficient transparent conductor with low‐surface roughness of 4.6 nm, low sheet resistance of 13.7 Ω sq^?1 at high transmittance, and superior mechanical and chemical stabilities. The developed AgNWs–EG films are versatile for a wide variety of optoelectronics. As an example, when used as a bottom electrode in organic solar cell and polymer light‐emitting diode, the devices exhibit a power conversion efficiency of 6.6% and an external quantum efficiency of 4.4%, respectively, comparable to their commercial indium tin oxide counterparts.     

Enhanced Electrocatalysis via 3D Graphene Aerogel Engineered with a Silver Nanowire Network for Ultrahigh‐Rate Zinc–Air Batteries

3D graphene aerogel (GA) integrated with active metal or its derivatives has emerged as a novel class of multifunctional constructs with range of potential applications. However, GA fabricated by self‐assembly in the liquid phase still suffers from low conductivity and poor knowledge related to spatial active phase distribution and 3D structure. To address these issues, a facile approach involving in situ integration of 1D silver nanowire (AgNW) during gelation of graphene oxide flakes is presented. AgNWs prevent the restacking of graphene sheets and act as an efficient electron highway and Ag source for deposition of ultrasmall Ag nanocrystals (AgNCs). When applied as the cathodic electrocatalyst in a zinc–air battery, the 3D GA integrated with 0D AgNCs and 1D AgNWs permit ultrahigh discharge rates of up to 300 mA cm^?2. Moreover, for the first time, with the help of phase‐contrast X‐ray computed microtomography, the interconnected porous network of millimeter‐sized GA and a full‐field view of the macrodistribution of Ag is delivered, offering the vitally complementary macroscopic structure information, which has been missing in previous reports.     

Flexible Solid‐State Supercapacitors with Enhanced Performance from Hierarchically Graphene Nanocomposite Electrodes and Ionic Liquid Incorporated Gel Polymer Electrolyte

High energy density, durability, and flexibility of supercapacitors are required urgently for the next generation of wearable and portable electronic devices. Herein, a novel strategy is introduced to boost the energy density of flexible soild‐state supercapacitors via rational design of hierarchically graphene nanocomposite (GNC) electrode material and employing an ionic liquid gel polymer electrolyte. The hierarchical graphene nanocomposite consisting of graphene and polyaniline‐derived carbon is synthesized as an electrode material via a scalable process. The meso/microporous graphene nanocomposites exhibit a high specific capacitance of 176 F g^?1 at 0.5 A g^?1 in the ionic liquid 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIBF₄) with a wide voltage window of 3.5 V, good rate capability of 80.7% in the range of 0.5–10 A g^?1 and excellent stability over 10 000 cycles, which is attributed to the superior conductivity (7246 S m^?1), and quite large specific surface area (2416 m² g^?1) as well as hierarchical meso/micropores distribution of the electrode materials. Furthermore, flexible solid‐state supercapacitor devices based on the GNC electrodes and gel polymer electrolyte film are assembled, which offer high specific capacitance of 180 F g^?1 at 1 A g^?1, large energy density of 75 Wh Kg^?1, and remarkable flexible performance under consecutive bending conditions.     

Inverted Layer‐By‐Layer Fabrication of an Ultraflexible and Transparent Ag Nanowire/Conductive Polymer Composite Electrode for Use in High‐Performance Organic Solar Cells

A highly flexible and transparent conductive electrode based on consecutively stacked layers of conductive polymer (CP) and silver nanowires (AgNWs) fully embedded in a colorless polyimide (cPI) is achieved by utilizing an inverted layer‐by‐layer processing method. This CP‐AgNW composite electrode exhibits a high transparency of >92% at wavelengths of 450–700 nm and a low resistivity of 7.7 Ω ?^?1, while its ultrasmooth surface provides a large contact area for conductive pathways. Furthermore, it demonstrates an unprecedentedly high flexibility and good mechanical durability during both outward and inward bending to a radius of 40 μm. Subsequent application of this composite electrode in organic solar cells achieves power conversion efficiencies as high as 7.42%, which represents a significant improvement over simply embedding AgNWs in cPI. This is attributed to a reduction in bimolecular recombination and an increased charge collection efficiency, resulting in performance comparable to that of indium tin oxide‐based devices. More importantly, the high mechanical stability means that only a very slight reduction in efficiency is observed with bending (<5%) to a radius of 40 μm. This newly developed composite electrode is therefore expected to be directly applicable to a wide range of high‐performance, low‐cost flexible electronic devices.     

Template‐Based Growth of Various Oxide Nanorods by Sol–Gel Electrophoresis

The ability to form oxide nanorods is of great interest in a number of areas. In this paper, we report the template‐based growth of nanorods of several oxide ceramics, formed by means of a combination of sol–gel processing and electrophoretic deposition. Both single metal oxides (TiO₂, SiO₂) and complex oxides (BaTiO₃, Sr₂Nb₂O₇, and Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃) have been grown by this method. Uniformly sized nanorods of about 125–200 nm in diameter and 10 μm in length were grown over large areas with near unidirectional alignment. Desired stoichiometric chemical composition and crystal structure of the oxide nanorods was readily achieved by an appropriate procedure of sol preparation, with a heat treatment (700 °C for 15 min) for crystallization and densification.     

Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Nanocomposites Prepared by Means of Sol–Gel Condensation of Bismethacrylatesilanes in Reactive Diluents

A bismethacrylatesilane monomer (BMS) was prepared via selective Michael addition of aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) to the acrylate groups of 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl acrylate (ethyleneglycol acrylatemethacrylate, EGAMA). Sol–gel condensation of BMS in triethyleneglycoldimethacrylate (TGDMA) afforded in situ stable methacrylate‐functional nanoparticle dispersions, with average nanoparticle diameter of 3–4 nm, as determined by means of element‐specific transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Condensation in the absence of TGDMA could be achieved without gelation. Viscosities of the resulting nanoparticle dispersions were low, ranging from 12 to 1969 mPa s, shear‐rate‐independent and increased with the nanoparticle fraction, exhibiting hard‐sphere behavior. The nanoparticle dispersions in TGDMA were employed as matrix for the preparation of photocurable acrylic nanocomposites. Mechanical properties such as compressive and flexural strength as well as Young’s moduli (6000 to 8700 MPa) have been determined. Low volume shrinkage was observed upon polymerization. The volume shrinkage depended on the nanofiller fraction.     

Production of Flexible Transparent Conducting Films of Self‐Fused Nanowires via One‐Step Supersonic Spraying

Scalable and economical manufacturing of flexible transparent conducting films (TCF) is a key barrier to widespread adoption of low‐cost flexible electronics. Here, a simple, robust, and scalable method of flexible TCF formation using supersonic kinetic spraying is demonstrated. Silver nanowire (AgNW) suspensions are sprayed at supersonic speed to produce self‐sintered films of AgNWs on flexible substrates. These films display remarkably low sheet resistance, <10 Ω sq^?1, combined with high transmittance, >90%. These electrically conducting, transparent, and flexible coatings can be deposited over a 100 cm² area in ≈30 s. Theoretical analysis reveals the underlying physical mechanism behind self‐sintering, showing that self‐sintering is enabled by the high velocity of impact in supersonic spraying.