Work function tuning for flexible transparent electrodes based on functionalized metallic single walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract We present a method to control the work function of metallic carbon nanotube transparent electrodes by functionalization of the random network with metallic nanoparticles. Flexible functionalized electrodes with high transparency (∼90%) can be obtained with work function values ranging from ∼4.6 up to ∼5.1 eV, depending on the nature of the nanoparticles. The work function values were obtained by comparative in situ Kelvin probe force microscopy under ultra high vacuum and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. Interestingly, by appropriate choice of the metal source for functionalization, work function engineering can lead to work function values higher or lower than that for pristine metallic nanotubes. This could be of great interest for adjusting the work function of transparent electrodes to active layers in many optoelectronics devices.