Synthesis of Oxidation-Resistant
Cupronickel Nanowires
for Transparent Conducting Nanowire Networks
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Abstract
Nanowires of copper can be coated from liquids to create
flexible,
transparent conducting films that can potentially replace the dominant
transparent conductor, indium tin oxide, in displays, solar cells,
organic light-emitting diodes, and electrochromic windows. One issue
with these nanowire films is that copper is prone to oxidation. It
was hypothesized that the resistance to oxidation could be improved
by coating copper nanowires with nickel. This work demonstrates a
method for synthesizing copper nanowires with nickel shells as well
as the properties of cupronickel nanowires in transparent conducting
films. Time- and temperature-dependent sheet resistance measurements
indicate that the sheet resistance of copper and silver nanowire films
will double after 3 and 36 months at room temperature, respectively.
In contrast, the sheet resistance of cupronickel nanowires containing
20 mol % nickel will double in about 400 years. Coating copper nanowires
to a ratio of 2:1 Cu:Ni gave them a neutral gray color, making them
more suitable for use in displays and electrochromic windows. These
properties, and the fact that copper and nickel are 1000 times more
abundant than indium or silver, make cupronickel nanowires a promising
alternative for the sustainable, efficient production of transparent
conductors