Self-Powered Ultrasensitive Nanowire Photodetector Driven by a Hybridized Microbial Fuel Cell

Self-powered, all-solution processed, trilayer heterojunction perovskite-based photodetectors

Heterostructures composed of nano-/micro-junctions, combining the excellent photon harvesting properties of nano-systems and the ultrafast carrier transfer of micro-systems, have a promising role in high-performance photodetectors. In this paper, a highly-sensitive trilayer self-powered perovskite-based photodetector ITO/ZnO (70 nm)/CdS (150 nm)/CsPbBr₃ (200 nm)/Au, in which the CdS nanorods (NRs) layer is sandwiched between a ZnO/CsPbBr₃ interface to reduce the interfacial charge carriers' recombination and the charge transport resistance, is presented. Due to the strong built-in potential and the internal driving electric-field, an ultra-high On/Off current ratio of 10⁶ with a responsivity of 86 mA W^-1 and a specific detectivity of 6.2 × 10¹¹ Jones was obtained at zero bias under 85 µW cm^-2 405 nm illumination and its rise/decay time at zero bias is 0.3/0.25 s. Therefore, the enhanced device performance strongly suggests the great potential of such a trilayer heterojunction device for use in high-performance perovskite photodetectors.

Enhanced performance of hybrid self-biased heterojunction photodetector on soft-lithographically patterned organic platform

Nanopatterning of the active layer with feature size comparable to the wavelength of visible light is a popular strategy for improving the performance of optoelectronic devices, as these structures enhance the optical path length by light trapping due to combined contribution of multiple scattering, diffraction, and antireflection. Here, we report the fabrication of ZnO/CdS self-biased heterojunction photodetectors on soft lithographically patterned PEDOT:PSS layers with grating geometry. The present study combines the robustness of inorganic devices along with the convenience of easy patterning capability of an organic PEDOT:PSS layer. Patterns with two different line widths (L _P = 350 nm, and Lp = 750 nm) have been used in this study to understand the influence of feature dimension on the device performance. We observe enhanced photoluminescence on patterned devices, in comparison to devices fabricated on flat PEDOT:PSS films, which is attributed to the increased interfacial area between the organic and inorganic layers. The spectral response [R( λ )] and specific detectivity [D * ( λ )] are found to be higher for the devices with Lp = 350 nm as compared to other devices due to enhanced absorption within the structures due to confinement of light, which also results in reduced reflectance in devices with Lp = 350 nm.

Ultrasensitive Self-Powered Solar-Blind Deep-Ultraviolet Photodetector Based on All-Solid-State Polyaniline/MgZnO Bilayer

A high sensitivity self-powered solar-blind photodetector is successfully constructed based on the polyaniline/MgZnO bilayer. The maximum responsivity of the photodetector is 160 μA W^-1 at 250 nm under 0 V bias. The device also exhibits a high on/off ratio of ≈10⁴ under 250 nm illumination at a relatively weak light intensity of 130 μW cm^-2 without any power.

Multifunctional Energy Storage and Conversion Devices

Multifunctional energy storage and conversion devices that incorporate novel features and functions in intelligent and interactive modes, represent a radical advance in consumer products, such as wearable electronics, healthcare devices, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, smart household, and space satellites, etc. Here, smart energy devices are defined to be energy devices that are responsive to changes in configurational integrity, voltage, mechanical deformation, light, and temperature, called self-healability, electrochromism, shape memory, photodetection, and thermal responsivity. Advisable materials, device designs, and performances are crucial for the development of energy electronics endowed with these smart functions. Integrating these smart functions in energy storage and conversion devices gives rise to great challenges from the viewpoint of both understanding the fundamental mechanisms and practical implementation. Current state-of-art examples of these smart multifunctional energy devices, pertinent to materials, fabrication strategies, and performances, are highlighted. In addition, current challenges and potential solutions from materials synthesis to device performances are discussed. Finally, some important directions in this fast developing field are considered to further expand their application.

High-Performance Organolead Halide Perovskite-Based Self-Powered Triboelectric Photodetector

We report a MAPbI3-based self-powered photodetector (SPPD). It has a dual sensing mechanism that relies on the joint properties of a photoelectric effect and a triboelectric effect of the perovskite material. Both the photoconductivity and the surface triboelectric density of the MAPbI3-based composite thin film are significantly altered upon solar illumination, which results in considerable reduction of the output voltage. The SPPD exhibits excellent responsivity (7.5 V W(-1)), rapid response time (<80 ms), great repeatability, and broad detection range that extends from UV to visible regions. This work presents a route to designing high-performance self-powered photodetectors from the aspect of materials.

Self-powered ultrafast broadband photodetector based on p-n heterojunctions of CuO/Si nanowire array

A new self-powered broadband photodetector was fabricated by coating an n-silicon nanowire (n-Si NW) array with a layer of p-cupric oxide (CuO) nanoflakes through a new simple solution synthesis method. The p-n heterojunction shows excellent rectification characteristics in the dark and distinctive photovoltaic behavior under broadband light illumination. The photoresponse of the detector at zero bias voltage shows that this self-powered photodetector is highly sensitive to visible and near-infrared light illuminations, with excellent stability and reproducibility. Ultrafast response rise and recovery times of 60 and 80 μs, respectively, are shown by the CuO based nanophotodetector. In addition, the broadband photodetector can also provide a rapid binary response, with current changing from positive to negative upon illumination under a small bias. The binary response arises from the photovoltaic behavior and the low turn-on voltage of the CuO/Si NW device. These properties make the CuO/Si NW broadband photodetector suitable for applications that require high response speeds and self-sufficient functionality.

Arbitrary multicolor photodetection by hetero-integrated semiconductor nanostructures

The typical photodetectors can only detect one specific optical spectral band, such as InGaAs and graphene-PbS quantum dots for near-infrared (NIR) light detection, CdS and Si for visible light detection, and ZnO and III-nitrides for UV light detection. So far, none of the developed photodetector can achieve the multicolor detection with arbitrary spectral selectivity, high sensitivity, high speed, high signal-to-noise ratio, high stability, and simplicity (called 6S requirements). Here, we propose a universal strategy to develop multicolor photodetectors with arbitrary spectral selectivity by integrating various semiconductor nanostructures on a wide-bandgap semiconductor or an insulator substrate. Because the photoresponse of each spectral band is determined by each semiconductor nanostructure or the semiconductor substrate, multicolor detection satisfying 6S requirements can be readily satisfied by selecting the right semiconductors.

SnO2-microtube-assembled cloth for fully flexible self-powered photodetector nanosystems

Integrating an energy conversion or storage device with photodetectors into a self-powered system provides a promising route to future devices aimed at reduced size, low weight and high flexibility. We reported here the fabrication of a fully flexible self-powered photodetector nanosystem by integrating a flexible SnO2-cloth-based ultraviolet photodetector with a flexible SnO2-cloth-based lithium-ion battery. The flexible SnO2-cloth-based ultraviolet photodetectors showed fast response to ultraviolet light with excellent flexibility and stability. Using SnO2-on-carbon-cloth as the binder-free anode and commercial LiCoO2/Al foil as the cathode, a flexible full lithium-ion battery was assembled, exhibiting a reversible capacity of 550 mA h g(-1) even after 60 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g(-1) in a potential window of 2-3.8 V. When integrated with and driven by the flexible full battery, the fully flexible self-powered photodetector nanosystem exhibits comparable performance with an analogous externally powered device. Such an integrated nanosystem could serve as a wireless detecting system in large areas, as required in applications such as environmental sensing and biosensing.

Self-powered magnetic sensor based on a triboelectric nanogenerator

Magnetic sensors are usually based on the Hall effect or a magnetoresistive sensing mechanism. Here we demonstrate that a nanogenerator can serve as a sensor for detecting the variation of the time-dependent magnetic field. The output voltage of the sensor was found to exponentially increase with increasing magnetic field. The detection sensitivities for the change and the changing rate of magnetic field are about 0.0363 ± 0.0004 ln(mV)/G and 0.0497 ± 0.0006 ln(mV)/(G/s), respectively. The response time and reset time of the sensor are about 0.13 and 0.34 s, respectively. The fabricated sensor has a detection resolution of about 3 G and can work under low frequencies (<0.4 Hz).