  Transparent electrodes (TEs) made of metallic nanowires, such as Ag, Au, Cu,
and Ni, have attracted rising attention for several reasons: 1) they can act as
a substitute for tin oxide-based TEs such as indium-tin oxide (ITO) and
fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO); 2) various methods exist for fabricating such
TEs such as filtration, spraying and meyer bar coating; 3) greater
compatibility with different substrates can be achieved due to the variety of
fabrication methods; and 4) extra functions in addition to serving as
electrodes, such as catalytic abilities, can be obtained due to the metals that
compose the TEs. There are a large number of applications for TEs, ranging from
electronics and sensors to biomedical devices. This short review is a summary
of recent progress, mainly during the past five years, on silver nanowire-based
TEs. The focus of the review will be on theory development, mechanical,
chemical and thermal stability and optical properties. The many applications of
TEs are outside the scope of this review.
