C3nano Inc.

Uchicago Argonne, LLC

Ekc Technology Inc.

Yongxing Hu

Ying-Syi Li

Ajay Virkar

Xiqiang Yang

Yadong Cao

Alexander Seung-il Hong

Jing Shun Ang

Yugang Sun

Hua Gu

Melanie Mariko Inouye

Arthur Yung-Chi Cheng

Faraz Azadi Manzour

Nanoscale colorants are introduced to adjust the hue of transparent conductive films, such as to provide a whiter film. The transparent conductive films can have sparse metal conductive layers, which can be formed using silver nanowires. Color of the film can be evaluated using standard color parameters. In particular, values of color parameter b* can be reduced with the nanoscale colorants without unacceptably changing other parameters, such as haze, a* and transparency.

Transparent films with control of light hue using nanoscale colorants

Highly uniform and thin silver nanowires are described having average diameters below 20 nm and a small standard deviation of the diameters. The silver nanowires have a high aspect ratio. The silver nanowires can be characterized by a small number of nanowires having a diameter greater than 18 nm as well as with a blue shifted narrow absorption spectrum in a dilute solution. Methods are described to allow for the synthesis of the narrow uniform silver nanowires. Transparent conductive films formed from the thin, uniform silver nanowires can have very low levels of haze and low values of ΔL*, the diffusive luminosity, such that the transparent conductive films can provide little alteration of the appearance of a black background.

Thin and uniform silver nanowires, method of synthesis and transparent conductive films formed from the nanowires

Metal salt based stabilizers are described that are effective to improve stability of sparse metal conductive films formed with metal nanowires, especially silver nanowires. Specifically, vanadium (+5) compositions can be effectively placed in coatings to provide desirable stabilization under accelerated wear testing conditions. Sparse metal conductive films can comprise fused metal nanostructured networks. Cobalt (+2) compounds can be incorporated as stabilization agents within nanowire inks to provide a high degree of stabilization without significantly interfering with the fusing process.

Stabilized sparse metal conductive films and solutions for delivery of stabilizing compounds

Metal nanowires with uniform noble metal coatings are described. Two methods, galvanic exchange and direct deposition, are disclosed for the successful formation of the uniform noble metal coatings. Both the galvanic exchange reaction and the direct deposition method benefit from the inclusion of appropriately strong binding ligands to control or mediate the coating process to provide for the formation of a uniform coating. The noble metal coated nanowires are effective for the production of stable transparent conductive films, which may comprise a fused metal nanostructured network.

Noble metal coated silver nanowires, methods for performing the coating

Desirable methods for larger scale silver nanoplate synthesis are described along with methods for applying a noble metal coating onto the silver nanoplates to form coated silver nanoplates with a desirable absorption spectrum. The silver nanoplates are suitable for use in coatings for altering the hue of a transparent film. The hue adjustment can be particularly desirable for transparent conductive films.

Methods for synthesizing silver nanoplates and noble metal coated silver nanoplates and their use in transparent films for control of light hue

Highly uniform and thin silver nanowires are described having average diameters below 20 nm and a small standard deviation of the diameters. The silver nanowires have a high aspect ratio. The silver nanowires can be characterized by a small number of nanowires having a diameter greater than 18 nm as well as with a blue shifted narrow absorption spectrum in a dilute solution. Methods are described to allow for the synthesis of the narrow uniform silver nanowires. Transparent conductive films formed from the thin, uniform silver nanowires can have very low levels of haze and low values of &#x394;L*, the diffusive luminosity, such that the transparent conductive films can provide little alteration of the appearance of a black background.

Transparent conductive film

A method comprises heating an aqueous solution of colloidal silver particles. A soluble noble metal halide salt is added to the aqueous solution which undergoes a redox reaction on a surface of the silver particles to form noble metal/silver halide SPs, noble metal halide/silver halide SPs or noble metal oxide/silver halide SPs on the surface of the silver particles. The heat is maintained for a predetermined time to consume the silver particles and release the noble metal/silver halide SPs, the noble metal halide/silver halide SPs or the noble metal oxide/silver halide SPs into the aqueous solution. The aqueous solution is cooled. The noble metal/silver halide SPs, the noble metal halide/silver halide SPs or noble metal oxide/silver halide SPs are separated from the aqueous solution. The method optionally includes adding a soluble halide salt to the aqueous solution.

Noble metal superparticles and methods of preparation thereof

A generic route for synthesis of asymmetric nanostructures. This approach utilizes submicron magnetic particles (FeO&#x2014;SiO) as recyclable solid substrates for the assembly of asymmetric nanostructures and purification of the final product. Importantly, an additional SiOlayer is employed as a mediation layer to allow for selective modification of target nanoparticles. The partially patched nanoparticles are used as building blocks for different kinds of complex asymmetric nanostructures that cannot be fabricated by conventional approaches. The potential applications such as ultra-sensitive substrates for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) have been included.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Yongxing Hu