Enables coating of minerals and acid-sensitive materials with conductive film.
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Categories |
Materials, Nanotechnology, Cleantech, Coatings, Nanoparticles, Energy, Solar, Electronic / Optic / Electrooptic / Photonic |
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Development Stage |
Proof of concept; ongoing research |
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Patent Status |
United States patent application filed |
Highlights
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Antimony tin oxide is one of the most widely used transparent conducting oxides because of its two chief properties, electrical conductivity and optical transparency, which are important for optoelectronic devices, such as in flat-panel displays and solar cells.
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Current methods for particle and nanoparticle tin oxide formation and surface coatings employ acidic media, but there remains an important need to be able to coat acid sensitive materials with nanoparticulate antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) films.
Our Innovation
Generic method for the coating of different surfaces, including acid-sensitive crystals (LiNbO3 and calcite) from an organic, ligand-free, stable hydroperoxostannate and -antimonate solution.
Key Features
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Method is useful for coating small entities because ATO nano-particle formation takes place exclusively on surfaces, with no particle growth taking place in the solution.
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Uniform coating of different clays and other irregular configurations by monosized 5 nm ATO particles was demonstrated from an organic ligand-free solution.
Figure: SEM (left) and TEM (right) micrographs of ATO-coated sepiolite (a and b), porous sol-gel silica powder (c and d), and calcite (e and f). Five nm crystalline ATO particles are visible in the TEM figures.
Development Milestones
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Seeking industry cooperation
The Opportunity
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Doped tin oxide coatings can be employed for sensors, catalysis, smart (heated) windows, touch panel displays, voltage-dependent resistors, and LED devices, as well as solar cells and especially polymer solar cells
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