Method for manufacturing indium tin oxide nanowires

A method for manufacturing indium tin oxide nanowires with a resistivity of about 10−3 Ω-cm, the method comprising:

• preparing a precursor aqueous solution comprising a tin-containing specie and an indium-containing specie wherein the molar ratio of the tin-containing specie to the indium-containing specie is about 5 to about 15%;
• preparing a polymer solution comprising an organic solvent;
• mixing the precursor solution with the polymer solution to produce an electrospinning solution or sol-gel wherein together the tin-containing specie and the indium-containing specie are from about 2% to about 15% by weight of the electrospinning solution or sol-gel;
• electrospinning the electrospinning solution or sol-gel at a relative humidity from about 15 to about 60 percent while irradiating the electrospinning solution or sol-gel with infrared radiation to provide the indium-tin nanowires with a cross-sectional thickness of from about 1 to about 100 micrometers;
• drying the indium tin oxide nanowires at a drying temperature of about 100° C. to about 200° C. to a moisture content of less than about 20% by weight;
• heating the indium tin oxide nanowires, at a rate between about 2 and about 20° C. per minute from the drying temperature to a calcination temperature of from about 700° C. to about 1000° C.;
• and
• maintaining the calcination temperature for a time from two hours to one week to provide indium tin oxide nanowires with a resistivity of about 10−3 Ω-cm.