Recent advances in nanofiber-based flexible transparent electrodes

• Published in: International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing Vol. 5; no. 3; pp. 32005 - 198
• Main Authors: Zhang, Houchao, Zhu, Xiaoyang, Tai, Yuping, Zhou, Junyi, Li, Hongke, Li, Zhenghao, Wang, Rui, Zhang, Jinbao, Zhang, Youchao, Ge, Wensong, Zhang, Fan, Sun, Luanfa, Zhang, Guangming, Lan, Hongbo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.09.2023; Key Laboratory of Additive Manufacturing and Applications in Universities of Shandong,Qingdao University of Technology,Qingdao 266520,People's Republic of China%Shandong Engineering Research Center for Additive Manufacturing,Qingdao University of Technology,Qingdao 266520,People's Republic of China; Shandong Engineering Research Center for Additive Manufacturing,Qingdao University of Technology,Qingdao 266520,People's Republic of China
• Subjects: additive manufacturing; Display devices; Electric heating; Electrode materials; Electrodes; Electronic equipment; Flexibility; flexible optoelectronic devices; flexible transparent electrodes; Indium tin oxides; Metal films; nanofiber; Nanofibers; Nanowires; Optoelectronics; Photovoltaic cells; Solar cells; Stretchability; Wearable technology; additive manufacturing; flexible transparent electrodes; flexible optoelectronic devices; nanofiber
• ISSN: 2631-8644; 2631-7990
• DOI: 10.1088/2631-7990/acdc66

Flexible and stretchable transparent electrodes are widely used in smart display, energy, wearable devices and other fields. Due to the limitations of flexibility and stretchability of indium tin oxide electrodes, alternative electrodes have appeared, such as metal films, metal nanowires, and conductive meshes. However, few of the above electrodes can simultaneously have excellent flexibility, stretchability, and optoelectronic properties. Nanofiber (NF), a continuous ultra-long one-dimensional conductive material, is considered to be one of the ideal materials for high-performance transparent electrodes with excellent properties due to its unique structure. This paper summarizes the important research progress of NF flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) in recent years from the aspects of NF electrode materials, preparation technology and application. First, the unique advantages and limitations of various NF materials are systematically discussed. Then, we summarize the preparation technology of various advanced NF FTEs, and point out the future development trend. We also discuss the application of NFs in solar cells, supercapacitors, electric heating equipments, sensors, etc, and analyze its development potential in flexible electronic equipment, as well as problems that need to be solved. Finally, the challenges and future development trends are proposed in the wide application of NF FTEs in the field of flexible optoelectronics. The key properties, advantages, and limitations of various NF materials for FTEs are reviewed and their potential for industrial production is evaluated. Various additive manufacturing technologies for preparing nanofibre-based FTEs are summarized, and their unique benefits and gaps requiring improvement are analyzed. The latest application advances of NF-based FTEs are reviewed, and the future development directions of intelligent flexible optoelectronic devices are analyzed. The current challenges of NF-based FTEs are summarized, and their future development directions and a series of promising research strategies are proposed.