Researchers at the Tallinn University of Technology have developed a flexible and very conductive transparent nanocomposite material as an alternative to expensive and rigid materials. This paves the way for widespread green energy technologies where good conductivity and transparency of a material are required to implement them successfully.

The transparent composite film is based on carbon nanotubes combined with conductive polymer. The researchers managed to achieve record-breaking sheet resistance (17 Ω/sq) together with a 90% transparency and excellent flexibility. Compared to the existing materials, this new material has similar optical and electrical parameters, but better and cheaper processing options.

The study by TalTech researchers is a good example of close cooperation between different research groups in the fields of science and technology. In addition to researchers from the Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials Physics of TalTech, researchers from Finland, Germany, and Russia also participated in the work.

The research article Rational Design of Highly Efficient Flexible and Transparent P-Type Composite Electrode Based on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes was selected as one of the best research articles of 2020 in the field of engineering and technology at Tallinn University of Technology. The authors of the article were Pramod M. Rajanna, Hosni Meddeb, Oleg Sergeev, Alexey P. Tsapenko, Sergei Bereznev, Martin Vehse, Olga Volobujeva, Mati Danilson, Peter D. Lund, and Albert G. Nasibulin.

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