Pressure Engineering Promising Transparent Oxides with Large Conductivity Enhancement and Strong Thermal Stability. Issue 31 (30th September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Xuqiang; Li, Mingtao; Zhang, Qian; Wang, Yiming; Li, Nana; Peng, Shang; Yin, Tao; Guo, Songhao; Liu, Ye; Yan, Limin; Zhang, Dongzhou; Kim, Jaeyong; Liu, Gang; Wang, Yandong; Yang, Wenge
• Is Part Of: Advanced science. Volume 9:Issue 31(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-09-30
• Subjects: electrical conductivity -- high pressure -- optical transmission -- thermal stability -- transparent conducting oxides; Science -- Periodicals; 505
• DOI: 10.1002/advs.202202973
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2198-3844

Abstract

Abstract: Transparent conducting oxides (TCO) with high electrical conductivity and high visible light transparency are desired for a wide range of high‐impact engineering. Yet, usually, a compromise must be made between conductivity and transparency, limiting the practical application of a TCO to the next level. Furthermore, TCO performance is highly sensitive to composition, so conventional synthesis methods, such as chemical doping, cannot unravel the mysteries of the quantitative structure–performance relationship. Thus, improving the fundamental understanding or creating materials‐by‐design has limited success. Here, a strategy is proposed to modulate the lattice and electronic and optical properties precisely by applying pressure on a TCO. Strikingly, after compression–decompression treatment on the indium titanium oxides (ITiO), a highly transparent and metastable phase with two orders of magnitude enhancement in conductivity is synthesized from an irreversible phase transition. Moreover, this phase possesses previously unattainable filter efficiency on hazardous blue light up to 600 °C, providing potential for healthcare‐related applications with strong thermal stability up to 200 °C. These results demonstrate that pressure engineering is a clean and effective tool for tailoring functional materials that are not achievable by other means, providing an exciting alternative property‐tuning dimension in materials science. Abstract : A metastable state in transparent conductive oxide is achieved by a precise pressure engineering design, which can efficiently block the blue light. After the compression–decompression cycle treatment, the material shows high optical performance with a two orders of magnitude enhancement in conductivity. The high‐pressure‐synthesized phase also exhibits strong thermal stability up to 200 °C, promising for future multifunctional high‐temperature applications.