Indium Tin Oxide Nanowires: Growth Methods, Applications and Perspectives

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is an important transparent conductive oxide, with wide applications in the field of optoelectronics. ITO nanowires (ITO NWs) not only have high surface volume ratio and excellent electrical–thermal properties, but they also maintain the advantages of high transmittance and conductivity of ITO film. They are used to prepare the current-spreading layers of devices with special morphologies. Gas sensors and transparent flexible devices have incomparable advantages over other metal oxide nanowires at present. Comprehensive review and summary of the preparation and application of ITO NWs is helpful for exploring common points in the growth mechanisms of ITO NWs under different fabrication methods, and for matching the appropriate nanowire morphology according to the application field. This paper summarizes and compares the main academic achievements in the preparation and application of ITO NWs, and the leading characterization techniques that contribute to the advancement of ITO NWs are reviewed in detail. The different preparation methods, different morphology control methods, electrical and optical properties of ITO NWs, and their applications in optoelectronic devices, gas sensors, supercapacitors, solar cells, and other devices are systematically considered.