Solution-Processable transparent conducting electrodes via the self-assembly of silver nanowires for organic photovoltaic devices.

Solution-processed transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs) were fabricated via the self-assembly deposition of silver nanowires (Ag NWs). Glass substrates modified with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTES) were coated with Ag NWs for various deposition times, leading to three different Ag NWs samples (APTES-Ag NWs (PVP), MPTES-Ag NWs (PVP), and APTES-Ag NWs (COOH)). Controlling the deposition time produced Ag NWs monolayer thin films with different optical transmittance and sheet resistance. Post-annealing treatment improved their electrical conductivity. The Ag NWs films were successfully characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and four-point probe. Three Ag NWs films exhibited low sheet resistance of 4-19Ω/sq and high optical transmittance of 65-81% (at 550nm), which are comparable to those of commercial ITO electrode. We fabricated an organic photovoltaic device by using Ag NWs as the anode instead of ITO electrode, and optimized device with Ag NWs exhibited power conversion efficiency of 1.72%.

Fabrication of a transparent conducting electrode based on graphene/silver nanowires via layer-by-layer method for organic photovoltaic devices.

A solution-processed transparent conducting electrode was fabricated via layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition of graphene oxide (GO) and silver nanowires (Ag NWs). First, graphite was oxidized with a modified Hummer's method to obtain negatively-charged GO sheets, and Ag NWs were functionalized with cysteamine hydrochloride to acquire positively-charged silver nanowires. Oppositely-charged GO and Ag NWs were then sequentially coated on a 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane modified glass substrate via LBL deposition, which provided highly controllable thin films in terms of optical transmittance and sheet resistance. Next, the reduction of GO sheets was performed to improve the electrical conductivity of the multilayer films. The resulting GO/Ag NWs multilayer was characterized by a UV-Vis spectrometer, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), optical microscope (OM) and sheet resistance using a four-point probe method. The best result was achieved with a 2-bilayer film, resulting in a sheet resistance of 6.5Ω sq-1 with an optical transmittance of 78.2% at 550nm, which values are comparable to those of commercial ITO electrodes. The device based on a 2-bilayer hybrid film exhibited the highest device efficiency of 1.30% among the devices with different number of graphene/Ag NW LBL depositions.