Metal nanowire networks: Recent advances and challenges for new generation photovoltaics

Abstract

Transparent conducting electrodes which allow photons passing through and simultaneously transfers the charge carriers are critical for the construction of high-performance photovoltaic cells. Electrodes based on metal oxides, such as indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) or fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), may have limited application in new generation flexible solar cells, which employ solution-processed roll-to-roll or ink-printing techniques toward large-area-fabrication approach, due to their brittleness and poor mechanical properties. Metal nanowire network (MNWN) emerges as a highly potential alternative candidate instead of ITO or FTO due to the high transparency, low sheet resistance, low cost, solution processable and compatibility with a flexible substrate for high throughput production. This feature article systematically summarizes the recent advances of the MNWNs, including new concepts and emerging strategies for the synthesis of metal nanowires (MNWs), various approaches for the preparation of MNWNs and comprehensively discusses the novel MNWN electrodes prepared on different substrates. The state-of-the-art new generation solar cell devices, such as transparent, flexible and light-weight solar cells, with MNWN as a transparent conductive electrode are emphasized. Finally, the opportunities and challenges for the development of MNWN electrodes toward application in the new generations of photovoltaic devices are discussed.