Carbon-coated nanowire network electrodes

A method for preparing an electrode comprising:

• (a) preparing a network of nanowires by a method comprising the steps of:
• i. providing a first gas flow to a reaction vessel;
• wherein said first gas flow comprises at least one precursor compound comprising at least one element selected from Si, Ge, Al, Cu, Zn, Sb, Ni, Ti, Se, Ta, Pt, Mo, V, W, Co, Mn and Li;
• wherein the at least one precursor compound is a metallic hydride or an organometallic compound;
• and
• ii. providing a second gas flow to the reaction vessel, said second gas flow comprising metallic catalyst particles;
• as the first and second gas flows are mixed in the reaction vessel to form a gas flow mixture;
• wherein the metallic catalyst particles comprise one or more element selected from Au, Ag, Cu, Fe, Ni, Ga, Co, Pt, In and Al;
• wherein the at least one precursor compound is in the gas flow mixture in a mole fraction (xi) of at least 0.010;
• wherein the temperature inside the reaction vessel ranges from 200 to 3000° C.;
• and
• wherein the at least one precursor compound decomposes under the temperature inside the reaction vessel and grows on the metallic catalyst particles by vapor liquid-solid (VLS) and/or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to form a network of nanowires;
• and
• (b) coating the network of nanowires resulting from step (a) by pyrolysis of a carbon precursor at a temperature of between 500 and 1300° C. under an inert gas atmosphere to obtain a network of nanowires coated with a carbon coating;
• optionally, contacting the network of nanowires coated with a carbon coating with an electrical connection or current collector.