Researchers have created a new type of transparent electrode
that might find uses in solar cells, flexible displays for computers and
consumer electronics and future "optoelectronic" circuits for sensors
and information processing.
The electrode is made of silver nanowires covered with a
material called graphene, an extremely thin layer of carbon. The hybrid
material shows promise as a possible replacement for indium tin oxide, or ITO,
used in transparent electrodes for touch-screen monitors, cell-phone displays
and flat-screen televisions. Industry is seeking alternatives to ITO because of
drawbacks: It is relatively expensive due to limited abundance of indium, and
it is inflexible and degrades over time, becoming brittle and hindering
performance.