Flexible electronic devices offer new appealing possibilities expanding and revolutionizing the field of energy, consumer electronics, communication, health, and more. Many of these technologies rely on transparent electrodes which are typically fabricated by Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) but there is an urgent need to find more sustainable and low-cost alternatives. While significant progress has been made, there are still challenges to overcome for the fabrication of efficient Transparent Electrodes (TEs). Conducting polymers offer a promising solution for printable TEs, combining conductivity (σ) and transparency with the benefits of abundance, lightweight, and flexibility. This Trend Article examines various material categories being studied for developing transparent electrodes, including metal oxides, metals, and carbon nanostructures. The potential of conducting polymers is highlighted, along with the solution-based coating and printing technologies rising with them, to adapt to the intricate and emerging requirements of our modern world.

柔性电子设备为能源、消费电子、通信、健康等领域的扩展和革命提供了新的有吸引力的可能性。其中许多技术依赖于通常由氧化铟锡 (ITO) 制造的透明电极，但迫切需要找到更可持续和低成本的替代品。尽管已经取得了重大进展，但高效透明电极（TE）的制造仍然存在需要克服的挑战。导电聚合物为可印刷 TE 提供了一种有前途的解决方案，它将导电性 (σ) 和透明度与丰富、轻质和灵活性的优点结合在一起。这篇趋势文章探讨了正在研究的用于开发透明电极的各种材料类别，包括金属氧化物、金属和碳纳米结构。导电聚合物的潜力以及随之兴起的基于溶液的涂层和印刷技术的潜力得到凸显，以适应现代世界复杂且不断出现的要求。