Dressing AgNWs with MXenes Nanosheets: Transparent Printed Electrodes Combining High-Conductivity and Tunable Work Function for High-Performance Opto-Electronics

Abstract

High-work function transparent electrodes (HWFTEs) are key for establishing Schottky and Ohmic contacts with n-type and p-type semiconductors, respectively. However, the development of printable materials that combine high transmittance, low sheet resistance, and tunable work function remains an outstanding challenge. This work reports a high-performance HWFTE composed of Ag nanowires enveloped conformally by Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets (TA), forming a shell-core network structure. The printed TA HWFTEs display an ultrahigh transmittance (>94%) from the deep-ultraviolet (DUV) to the entire visible spectral region, a low sheet resistance (<15 Ω sq⁻¹), and a tunable work function ranging from 4.7 to 6.0 eV. The introduction of additional oxygen terminations on the Ti₃C₂T_x surface generates positive dipoles, which not only increases the work function of the TA HWFTEs but also elevates the TA/Ga₂O₃ Schottky barrier, resulting in a high self-powered responsivity of 18 mA W⁻¹ in Ga₂O₃ diode DUV photodetectors, as demonstrated via experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations. Furthermore, the TA HWFTEs-based organic light-emitting transistors exhibit exceptional emission brightness of 5020 cd m⁻², being four-fold greater than that in Au electrodes-based devices. The innovative nano-structure design, work function tuning, and the revealed mechanisms of electrode-semiconductor contact physics constitute a substantial advancement in high-performance optoelectronic technology.