We report the synthesis of bimetallic Cu-Au nanotubes (NTs) and Cu@Au core-shell nanowires (NWs) for use as anti-oxidative electrodes. The fabrication involved two key approaches: galvanic replacement to produce Cu-Au NTs and the physical deposition of Au to form Cu@Au core-shell NWs. The galvanic replacement process generated hollow NTs through the Kirkendall effect, driven by the unequal diffusion rates of Cu and Au during the redox reaction. In contrast, the physical deposition of Au, facilitated by fast reduction kinetics using L-ascorbic acid, enabled the formation of a Au shell encapsulating the Cu NWs, preserving their structural integrity. Morphological and structural analyses confirmed the successful formation of both nanostructures. While the Cu-Au NTs exhibited hollow interiors and increased dimensions, the Cu@Au NWs displayed a solid core-shell morphology with minimal diameter increase. Electrical conductivity and thermal stability tests revealed the superior performance of the Cu@Au NWs. The sheet resistance of Cu@Au NWs remained as low as 4 Ω sq-1 and showed exceptional thermal stability, with minimal resistance variation (R/Ro ~1.36) even after 36 h at 120 °C under ambient conditions. In contrast, the Cu-Au NTs suffered rapid oxidation and structural instability. The physical deposition approach holds significant promise for the development of robust, low-resistance electrodes for long-term applications in harsh environments.

This study investigates the performance characteristics of electrodeposited (ED) silver nanowires (AgNWs) networks as transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs) considering Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) thin-film solar cells. The electrodeposition process uniformly deposits silver onto a network of spin-coated AgNWs, resulting in the enlargement of individual nanowire diameters and the formation of stronger interconnections between the AgNWs. This structural enhancement significantly improves both the electrical conductivity and thermal stability of the ED AgNW networks, making them more efficient and robust for practical applications in solar cells. The study comprehensively examines the optoelectronic properties of the ED AgNW networks, encompassing total and specular transmittance, transmission haze values, and sheet resistance, with varying durations of silver electrodeposition. Additionally, this study presents the current density (J)-voltage (V) characteristics of CIGS thin-film solar cells employing the ED AgNW TCEs, revealing how electrodeposition duration impacts overall device performance. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing TCEs in not only thin-film solar cells but also in other optoelectronic devices, highlighting the potential for improved long-term stability across various applications without compromising performance.