A new method for the preparation of ultrathin gold-based glass electrodes is being developed for organic solar cells. Because gold is considered an air-stable metal that is already widely used for interconnects, it will likely replace indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass, which has high surface roughness and a tendency to crack and become unstable. Whereas indium is in short supply, making it relatively expensive, gold can be recouped from the organic solar cell at the end of its life and is readily abundant. University of Warwick chemistry PhD student Helena Stec with some ultrathin gold film, watched by professor Tim Jones and Dr. Ross Hatton. (Image: University of Warwick) Research led by Dr. Ross Hatton and professor Tim Jones at the University of Warwick's department of chemistry developed this rapid method of preparing robust, ultrathin gold films on glass. They said that the process can be scaled up for large-area applications like solar cells and that the resulting electrodes are chemically very well defined. "This new method of creating gold-based transparent electrodes is potentially widely applicable for a variety of large-area applications, particularly where stable, chemically well defined, ultrasmooth platform electrodes are required, such as in organic optoelectronics and the emerging fields of nanoelectronics and nanophotonics," said Hatton. For more information, visit: www.warwick.ac.uk