Solution-Processable Route for Large-Area Uniform 2D Semiconductor Nanofilms

The semiconductor thin film engineering technique plays a key role in the development of advanced electronics. Printing uniform nanofilms on freeform surfaces with high efficiency and low cost is significant for actual industrialization in electronics. Herein, a high-throughput colloidal printing (HTCP) strategy is reported for fabricating large-area and uniform semiconductor nanofilms on freeform surfaces. High-throughput and uniform printing rely on the balance of atomization and evaporation, as well as the introduced thermal Marangoni flows of colloidal dispersion, that suppresses outward capillary flows. Colloidal printing with in situ heating enables the fast fabrication of large-area semiconductor nanofilms on freeform surfaces, such as SiO2 /Si, Al2 O3 , quartz glass, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), Al foil, plastic tube, and Ni foam, expanding their technological applications where substrates are essential. The printed SnS2 nanofilms are integrated into thin-film semiconductor gas sensors with one of the fastest responses (8 s) while maintaining the highest sensitivity (Rg /Ra = 21) (toward 10 ppm NO2 ), as well as an ultralow limit of detection (LOD) of 46 ppt. The ability to print uniform semiconductor nanofilms on freeform surfaces with high-throughput promises the development of next-generation electronics with low cost and high efficiency.

Facile Vertical Structure Broadband Photodetectors Enabled by Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Regulated Perovskite and Near-Infrared-Sensitive Lead Phthalocyanine

Broadband photodetectors have drawn tremendous attention in many application areas such as imaging, optical communication, and biochemical sensing. Perovskite is a star material with broad spectral absorption, but it is challenging to develop ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) ultra-broadband photodetectors due to the insufficient absorption in the near-infrared region. Moreover, it is difficult to construct a diode-type photodetector with a simple vertical structure based only on perovskite materials. Here, facile vertical structure broadband photodetectors were fabricated based on heterojunctions that were composed of perovskite MAPbI3 films with UV-Vis absorption spectrum and small organic molecule lead phthalocyanine (PbPc) with strong NIR optical absorption, resulting in UV-Vis-NIR ultra-broadband photodetection. The quality of MAPbI3 films was improved by introducing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) modification, and subsequently, the corresponding MAPbI3/PbPc heterojunction-based photodetectors exhibited rectification characteristics and reduced reverse dark currents. When the PVP mass ratio is 1 wt%, the photodetector achieved the best performance that the spectral response uniformity factor was as high as 0.77, the photoresponsivity exceeded 10 A/W, and the photoresponse time was less than 0.5 ms under a light intensity of 0.013 mW/cm2 in the UV-Vis to NIR spectral range. These results are comparable or superior to those of some inorganic, organic, and perovskite photodetectors reported previously. This study would provide an effective strategy to construct high-performance perovskite photodetectors based on a simple vertical structure, paving the way to the realization of UV-Vis-NIR broadband photodetection.

Lead-Free Copper-Based Perovskite Nanonets for Deep Ultraviolet Photodetectors with High Stability and Better Performance

Considering practical application and commercialization, the research of non-toxic and stable halide perovskite and its application in the field of photoelectric detection have received great attention. However, there are relatively few studies on deep ultraviolet photodetectors, and the perovskite films prepared by traditional spin-coating method have disadvantages such as uneven grain size and irregular agglomeration, which limit their device performance. Herein, uniform and ordered Cs₃Cu₂I₅ nanonet arrays are fabricated based on monolayer colloidal crystal (MCC) templates prepared with 1 μm polystyrene (PS) spheres, which enhance light-harvesting ability. Furthermore, the performance of the lateral photodetector (PD) is significantly enhanced when using Cs₃Cu₂I₅ nanonet compared to the pure Cs₃Cu₂I₅ film. Under deep ultraviolet light, the Cs₃Cu₂I₅ nanonet PD exhibits a high light responsivity of 1.66 AW^-1 and a high detection up to 2.48 × 10¹² Jones. Meanwhile, the unencapsulated PD has almost no response to light above 330 nm and shows remarkable stability. The above results prove that Cs₃Cu₂I₅ nanonet can be a great potential light-absorbing layer for solar-blind deep ultraviolet PD, which can be used as light absorption layer of UV solar cell.

High-Efficiency and Stable Perovskite Photodetectors with an F4-TCNQ-Modified Interface of NiOx and Perovskite Layers

Nickel oxide (NiO_x), a typical p-type semiconductor, is emerging as the most promising hole transport layer material. However, the inferior interfacial contact of the NiO_x/perovskite interface has limited the improvement of the performance of photodetectors (PDs). In this work, 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4-TCNQ) is introduced to modify the NiO_x/perovskite interface to prepare high-performance PDs. This study shows that the F4-TCNQ layer interacts with the NiO_x/perovskite layers. It can increase the Ni³⁺/Ni²⁺ ratio and then enhance the hole extraction and charge carrier mobility; on the contrary, it can form a new Lewis adduct and passivate the undercoordinated Pb²⁺ ions. Furthermore, with the F4-TCNQ modification, the perovskite film exhibits good thermal stability and photostability. The PDs demonstrate excellent photoelectric properties and long-term stability in the atmosphere. This finding provides a simple and efficient way to further develop the NiO_x/perovskite interface.

Two Luminescent Iridium Complexes with Phosphorous Ligands and Their Photophysical Comparison in Solution, Solid and Electrospun Fibers: Decreased Aggregation-Caused Emission Quenching by Steric Hindrance

In this paper, we prepared two phosphorescent Ir complexes with ligands of 2-phenyl pyridine (ppy), and two phosphorous ligands with large steric hindrance, hoping to allow enough time for the transformation of the highly phosphorescent ³MLLCT (metal-to-ligand-ligand-charge-transfer) excited state. Their large steric hindrance minimized the π-π interaction between complex molecules, so that the aggregation-induced phosphorescence emission (AIPE) influence could be minimized. Their single crystals indicated that they took a distorted octahedral coordination mode. Photophysical comparison between these Ir complexes in solution, in the solid state and in electrospun fibers was performed to confirm the realization of limited aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ). The potential surface crossing and energy transfer from ³ML_BPECT/³ML_BPEL_ppyCT to ³ML_ppyCT in these Ir complexes were revealed by density functional theory calculation and temperature-dependent emission. It was confirmed that these two phosphorous ligands offered large steric hindrance, which decreased the ACQ effect, allowing the efficient emissive decay of the ³ML_ppyCT excited state. This is one of the several luminescent Ir complexes with a high emission yield (Φ = 0.27) and long emission lifetime (0.43 μs) in the solid state.

Preparation of hexagonal nanoporous Al2O3/TiO2/TiN as a novel photodetector with high efficiency

The unique optical properties of metal nitrides enhance many photoelectrical applications. In this work, a novel photodetector based on TiO2/TiN nanotubes was deposited on a porous aluminum oxide template (PAOT) for light power intensity and wavelength detection. The PAOT was fabricated by the Ni-imprinting technique through a two-step anodization method. The TiO2/TiN layers were deposited by using atomic layer deposition and magnetron sputtering, respectively. The PAOT and PAOT/TiO2/TiN were characterized by several techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The PAOT has high-ordered hexagonal nanopores with dimensions ~ 320 nm pore diameter and ~ 61 nm interpore distance. The bandgap of PAOT/TiO2 decreased from 3.1 to 2.2 eV with enhancing absorption of visible light after deposition of TiN on the PAOT/TiO2. The PAOT/TiO2/TiN as photodetector has a responsivity (R) and detectivity (D) of 450 mAW-1 and 8.0 × 1012 Jones, respectively. Moreover, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) was 9.64% at 62.5 mW.cm-2 and 400 nm. Hence, the fabricated photodetector (PD) has a very high photoelectrical response due to hot electrons from the TiN layer, which makes it very hopeful as a broadband photodetector.

The Green Synthesis of 2D Copper Nanosheets and Their Light Absorption

In this study, a new green synthesis method for two-dimensional (2D) copper nanosheets is developed using methylsulfonylmethane (DMSO₂). The chemical composition and light absorption of 2D copper nanosheets are also studied. A new green method is mainly to utilize DMSO₂, which is environmentally friendly enough to be considered a food-grade chemical, unlike the conventional method using toxic chemicals, such as ammonia and hydrazine (N₂H₄). With a reducing agent, the aggregation of uncertain copper products was produced in the absence of DMSO₂, while 2D copper nanosheets were formed in the presence of DMSO₂. The optimum concentration of DMSO₂ as a surfactant was determined to be 2 M, resulting in large surface areas with regular edges. FTIR spectrum confirmed C–H bonding from DMSO₂ used to synthesize 2D copper nanosheets. The light absorption peak was revealed at 800 nm in the UV–vis spectrum. This proposed new green method not only has a simpler process than the conventional methods, such as hydrothermal method and chemical bath deposition, but also substitutes toxic chemicals with DMSO₂. 2D copper nanosheets can be used for various applications, including conductive filler or ink in the flexible electronics and laser photonics fields.

Ultrathin Bi2O2S nanosheet near-infrared photodetectors

Recently, a zipper two-dimensional (2D) material Bi₂O₂Se belonging to the layered bismuth oxychalcogenide (Bi₂O₂X: X = S, Se, Te) family, has emerged as an alternate candidate to van der Waals 2D materials for high-performance electronic and optoelectronic applications. This hints towards exploring the other members of the Bi₂O₂X family for their true potential and bismuth oxysulfide (Bi₂O₂S) could be the next member for such applications. Here, we demonstrate for the first time, the scalable room-temperature chemical synthesis and near-infrared (NIR) photodetection of ultrathin Bi₂O₂S nanosheets. The thickness of the freestanding nanosheets was around 2-3 nm with a lateral dimension of ∼80-100 nm. A solution-processed NIR photodetector was fabricated from ultrathin Bi₂O₂S nanosheets. The photodetector showed high performance, under 785 nm laser illumination, with a photoresponsivity of 4 A W^-1, an external quantum efficiency of 630%, and a normalized photocurrent-to-dark-current ratio of 1.3 × 10¹⁰ per watt with a fast response time of 100 ms. Taken together, the findings suggest that Bi₂O₂S nanosheets could be a promising alternative 2D material for next-generation large-area flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Ultrafast and Sensitive Self-Powered Photodetector Featuring Self-Limited Depletion Region and Fully Depleted Channel with van der Waals Contacts

Self-powered photodetectors with great potential for implanted medical diagnosis and smart communications have been severely hindered by the difficulty of simultaneously achieving high sensitivity and fast response speed. Here, we report an ultrafast and highly sensitive self-powered photodetector based on two-dimensional (2D) InSe, which is achieved by applying a device architecture design and generating ideal Schottky or ohmic contacts on 2D layered semiconductors, which are difficult to realize in the conventional semiconductors owing to their surface Fermi-level pinning. The as-fabricated InSe photodiode features a maximal lateral self-limited depletion region and a vertical fully depleted channel. It exhibits a high detectivity of 1.26 × 10¹³ Jones and an ultrafast response speed of ∼200 ns, which breaks the response speed limit of reported self-powered photodetectors based on 2D semiconductors. The high sensitivity is achieved by an ultralow dark current noise generated from the robust van der Waals (vdW) Schottky junction and a high photoresponsivity due to the formation of a maximal lateral self-limited depletion region. The ultrafast response time is dominated by the fast carrier drift driven by a strong built-in electric field in the vertical fully depleted channel. This device architecture can help us to design high-performance photodetectors utilizing vdW layered semiconductors.

High-Performance Deep Ultraviolet Photodetector Based on NiO/β-Ga2O3 Heterojunction

Ultraviolet (UV) photodetector has attracted extensive interests due to its wide-ranging applications from defense technology to optical communications. The use of wide bandgap metal oxide semiconductor materials is of great interest in the development of UV photodetector due to their unique electronic and optical properties. In this work, deep UV photodetector based on NiO/β-Ga₂O₃ heterojunction was developed and investigated. The β-Ga₂O₃ layer was prepared by magnetron sputtering and exhibited selective orientation along the family of ([Formula: see text] 01) crystal plane after annealing. The photodetector demonstrated good performance with a high responsivity (R) of 27.43 AW^-1 under a 245-nm illumination (27 μWcm^-2) and the maximum detectivity (D*) of 3.14 × 10¹² cmHz^1/2 W^-1, which was attributed to the p-NiO/n-β-Ga₂O₃ heterojunction.

Recent advances in solution-processed photodetectors based on inorganic and hybrid photo-active materials

Due to their excellent and tailorable optoelectronic performance, low cost, facile fabrication, and compatibility with flexible substrates, solution-processed inorganic and hybrid photo-active materials have attracted extensive interest for next-generation photodetector applications. This review gives a comprehensive compilation of solution-processed photodetectors. The basic structures of the device and important parameters of photodetectors will be firstly summarized. Then the development of various solution processing technologies containing solution synthesis and liquid phase film-forming processes for the preparation of semiconductor films is described. From the materials science point of view, we give a comprehensive overview about the current status of solution processed semiconductor materials including inorganic and hybrid photo-active materials for the application of photodetectors. Moreover, challenges and future trends in the field of solution-processed photodetectors are proposed.

High photosensitivity and external quantum efficiency photosensors achieved by a cable like nanoarchitecture

The poor intrinsic flexibility of semiconducting ceramic materials hinders their applications in wearable electronics. Here, we present a highly efficient photosensor with extreme levels of bending and repeatable resilience based on cable-like structure. The ZnO@TiO₂ cable-like photosensor demonstrates an ultra-high external quantum efficiency (2.82 × 10⁶%) and photosensitivity (1.27 × 10⁵) upon UV light illumination at 254 nm, and a stability of 85% at the small curvature radius of 0.5 mm. Moreover, the ZnO@TiO₂ photodetector demonstrates extremely stable flexibility over 1000 bending cycles. This specific nanoscale architecture has future potential applications for soft integrated electronics.

Solvent influenced synthesis of single-phase SnS2 nanosheets for solution-processed photodiode fabrication

The effect of variant high boiling point solvent combinations in the synthesis and photo-sensing characteristics of tin disulfide (SnS₂) thin nanosheets were investigated.

Highly Responsive Ultraviolet Sensor Based on ZnS Quantum Dot Solid with Enhanced Photocurrent

Detection of visible blind UV radiation is not only interesting but also of technologically important. Herein, we demonstrate the efficient detection of UV radiation by using cluster like ZnS quantum dot solid nanostructures prepared by simple reflux condensation technique. The short-chain ligand 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) involved in the synthesis lead to the cluster like formation of ZnS quantum dots into solids upon prolonged synthesis conditions. The ZnS QD solid formation resulted in the strong delocalization of electronic wave function between the neighboring quantum dots. It increases the photocurrent value, which can be further confirmed by the decrease in the average lifetime values from 64 to 4.6 ns upon ZnS cluster like QD solid formation from ZnS QDs. The ZnS quantum dot solid based UV sensor shows good photocurrent response and a maximum responsivity of 0.31 (A/W) at a wavelength of 390 nm, is not only competitive when compared with previous reports but also better than ZnS and metal oxide-based photodetectors. The device exhibits a high current value under low-intensity UV light source and an on/off ratio of IUV/Idark = 413 at zero biasing voltage with a fast response. Further, photocurrent device has been constructed using ZnS quantum dot solid nanostructures with graphene hybrids as an active layer to improve the enhancement of photoresponsivity.

Design of Patchy Rhombi: From Close-Packed Tilings to Open Lattices

In the realm of functional materials, the production of two-dimensional structures with tunable porosity is of paramount relevance for many practical applications: surfaces with regular arrays of pores can be used for selective adsorption or immobilization of guest units that are complementary in shape and/or size to the pores, thus achieving, for instance, selective filtering or well-defined responses to external stimuli. The principles that govern the formation of such structures are valid at both the molecular and the colloidal scale. Here we provide simple design directions to combine the anisotropic shape of the building units-either molecules or colloids-and selective directional bonding. Using extensive computer simulations, we show that regular rhombic platelets decorated with attractive and repulsive interaction sites form specific tilings, going smoothly from close-packed arrangements to open lattices. The rationale behind the rich tiling scenario observed can be described in terms of steric incompatibilities, unsatisfied bonding geometries, and interplays between local and long-range order.

Photo-Driven Ion Transport for a Photodetector Based on an Asymmetric Carbon Nitride Nanotube Membrane

Conventional photosensing devices work mainly by electron processing and transport, while visual systems in intelligence work by integrative ion/electron signals. To realize smarter photodetectors, some photoionic device or the combination of ionic and electronic devices are necessary. Now, an ion-transport-based self-powered photodetector is presented based on an asymmetric carbon nitride nanotube membrane, which can realize fast, selective, and stable light detection while being self-powered. Local charges are continuously generated at the irradiated side of the membrane, and none (fewer) at the non-irradiated side. The resulting surface charge gradient in carbon nitride nanotube will drive ion transport in the cavity, thus realizing the function of ionic photodetector. With advantages of low cost and easy fabrication process, the concept of ionic photodetectors based on carbon nitride anticipates wide applications for semiconductor biointerfaces.

Highly Oriented Thin Films of 2D Ruddlesden-Popper Hybrid Perovskite toward Superfast Response Photodetectors

2D hybrid perovskites have shown great promise in the photodetection field, due to their intriguing attributes stemming from unique structural architectures. However, the great majority of detectors based on this 2D system possess a relatively low response speed (≈ms), making it extremely urgent to develop new candidates for superfast photodetection. Here, a new organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite, (PA)₂ (FA)Pb₂ I₇ (EFA, where PA is n-pentylaminium and FA is formamidine), which features the 2D Ruddlesden-Popper type perovskite framework that is composed of the corner-sharing PbI₆ octahedra is reported. Significantly, photodetectors fabricated on highly oriented thin films, which exhibit a perfect orientation parallel to 2D inorganic perovskite layers, exhibit a superfast response time up to ≈2.54 ns. To the best of the knowledge, this figure-of-merit catches up with that of the top-ranking commercial materials, and sets a new record for 2D hybrid perovskite photodetectors. Moreover, extremely high photodetectivity (≈1.73 × 10¹⁴ Jones, under an incident power intensity of ≈46 µW cm^-2 ), considerable switching ratios (>10³ ), and low dark current (≈10 pA) are also achieved in the detector, indicating its great potential for high-efficiency photodetection. These results shed light on the possibilities to explore new 2D candidates for assembling future high-performance optoelectronic devices.

High-Switching-Ratio Photodetectors Based on Perovskite CH₃NH₃PbI₃ Nanowires

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials have attracted extensive attention due to their impressive performance in photovoltaic devices. One-dimensional perovskite CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanomaterials, possessing unique structural features such as large surface-to-volume ratio, anisotropic geometry and quantum confinement, may have excellent optoelectronic properties, which could be utilized to fabricate high-performance photodetectors. However, in comparison to CH₃NH₃PbI₃ thin films, reports on the fabrication of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanowires for optoelectrical application are rather limited. Herein, a two-step spin-coating process has been utilized to fabricate pure-phase and single-crystalline CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanowires on a substrate without mesoporous TiO₂ or Al₂O₃. The size and density of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanowires can be easily controlled by changing the PbI₂ precursor concentration. The as-prepared CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanowires are utilized to fabricate photodetectors, which exhibit a fairly high switching ratio of ~600, a responsivity of 55 mA/W, and a normalized detectivity of 0.5 × 10¹¹ jones under 532 nm light illumination (40 mW/cm²) at a very low bias voltage of 0.1 V. The as-prepared perovskite CH₃NH₃PbI₃ nanowires with excellent optoelectronic properties are regarded to be a potential candidate for high-performance photodetector application.

Highly Oriented Nanowire Thin Films with Anisotropic Optical Properties Driven by the Simultaneous Influence of Surface Templating and Shear Forces

The functional properties of nanoparticle thin films depend strongly on the arrangement of the nanoparticles within the material. In particular, anisotropic optoelectronic properties can be achieved through the aligned assembly of 1D nanomaterials such as silver nanowires (AgNWs). However, the control of the hierarchical organization of these nanoscale building blocks across multiple length scales and over large areas is still a challenge. Here, we show that the oriented deposition of AgNWs using grazing incidence spraying of the nano-object suspensions on a substrate comprising parallel surface wrinkles readily produces highly oriented monolayer thin films on macroscopic areas (>5 × 5 mm²). The use of textured substrates enhances the degree of ordering as compared to flat ones and increases the area over which AgNWs are oriented. The resulting microscopic linear arrangement of AgNWs evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reflects in a pronounced macroscopic optical anisotropy measured by conventional polarized UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy. The enhanced ordering obtained when spraying is done in the same direction as the wrinkles makes this approach more robust against small rotational offsets during preparation. On the contrary, the templating effect of the wrinkle topography can even dominate the shear-driven alignment when spraying is performed perpendicular to the wrinkles: the concomitant but opposing influence of topographic confinement (alignment along the wrinkles) and of spray-induced shear forces (orientation along the spraying direction) lead to films in which the predominant orientation of AgNWs gradually changes from one direction to its perpendicular one over the same substrate in a single processing step. This demonstrates that exploiting the subtle balance between shear forces and substrate-nanowire interactions mediated by wrinkles offers a new way to control the self-assembly of nanoparticles into more complex patterns.

Fabrication of Bi19S27I3 nanorod cluster films for enhanced photodetection performance

Bi₁₉S₂₇I₃ nanorod cluster films are directly grown on rigid substrates for potential application in wide range photodetectors.

Optical and Optoelectronic Property Analysis of Nanomaterials inside Transmission Electron Microscope

In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) allows one to investigate nanostructures at high spatial resolution in response to external stimuli, such as heat, electrical current, mechanical force and light. This review exclusively focuses on the optical, optoelectronic and photocatalytic studies inside TEM. With the development of TEMs and specialized TEM holders that include in situ illumination and light collection optics, it is possible to perform optical spectroscopies and diverse optoelectronic experiments inside TEM with simultaneous high resolution imaging of nanostructures. Optical TEM holders combining the capability of a scanning tunneling microscopy probe have enabled nanomaterial bending/stretching and electrical measurements in tandem with illumination. Hence, deep insights into the optoelectronic property versus true structure and its dynamics could be established at the nanometer-range precision thus evaluating the suitability of a nanostructure for advanced light driven technologies. This report highlights systems for in situ illumination of TEM samples and recent research work based on the relevant methods, including nanomaterial cathodoluminescence, photoluminescence, photocatalysis, photodeposition, photoconductivity and piezophototronics.

Sulfur-Doped Graphene-Based Immunological Biosensing Platform for Multianalysis of Cancer Biomarkers

The accurate tumor marker detection at an early stage can prevent people from getting cancer to a great extent. Herein, a novel tri-antibody dual-channel biosensing strategy is applied in multianalysis of carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) and nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22). In this immunosensor fabrication process, graphene oxide/polyaniline nanostructures are used as matrix and mesoporous NKF-5-3 is used as labels. Two kinds of antigens can be obtained from the signals of neutral red and toluidine blue, respectively, which are modified on the labels. In this tri-antibody dual-channel biosensing platform, sulfur-doped graphene sheet is synthesized by click chemistry as the framework structure. Majority of the incubations are conducted in individual steps, which ensure the surface incubation more tightly. The detection limit of NMP22 and CEA are 25 and 30 fg/mL, respectively. The low detection limit and excellent stability can ascribe to the tri-antibody dual-channel strategy, which makes the sensor platform from surface to the space. The clinical urine sample analysis achieves a good performance. The urine-based test can avoid the secondary injury on hemophilia or ischemic patients, displaying a potential application in clinical diagnosis.

Bilayer PbS Quantum Dots for High-Performance Photodetectors

Due to their wide tunable bandgaps, high absorption coefficients, easy solution processabilities, and high stabilities in air, lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots (QDs) are increasingly regarded as promising material candidates for next-generation light, low-cost, and flexible photodetectors. Current single-layer PbS-QD photodetectors suffer from shortcomings of large dark currents, low on-off ratios, and slow light responses. Integration with metal nanoparticles, organics, and high-conducting graphene/nanotube to form hybrid PbS-QD devices are proved capable of enhancing photoresponsivity; but these approaches always bring in other problems that can severely hamper the improvement of the overall device performance. To overcome the hurdles current single-layer and hybrid PbS-QD photodetectors face, here a bilayer QD-only device is designed, which can be integrated on flexible polyimide substrate and significantly outperforms the conventional single-layer devices in response speed, detectivity, linear dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio, along with comparable responsivity. The results which are obtained here should be of great values in studying and designing advanced QD-based photodetectors for applications in future flexible optoelectronics.

Two-Dimensional Materials for Halide Perovskite-Based Optoelectronic Devices

Halide perovskites have high light absorption coefficients, long charge carrier diffusion lengths, intense photoluminescence, and slow rates of non-radiative charge recombination. Thus, they are attractive photoactive materials for developing high-performance optoelectronic devices. These devices are also cheap and easy to be fabricated. To realize the optimal performances of halide perovskite-based optoelectronic devices (HPODs), perovskite photoactive layers should work effectively with other functional materials such as electrodes, interfacial layers and encapsulating films. Conventional two-dimensional (2D) materials are promising candidates for this purpose because of their unique structures and/or interesting optoelectronic properties. Here, we comprehensively summarize the recent advancements in the applications of conventional 2D materials for halide perovskite-based photodetectors, solar cells and light-emitting diodes. The examples of these 2D materials are graphene and its derivatives, mono- and few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), graphdiyne and metal nanosheets, etc. The research related to 2D nanostructured perovskites and 2D Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites as efficient and stable photoactive layers is also outlined. The syntheses, functions and working mechanisms of relevant 2D materials are introduced, and the challenges to achieving practical applications of HPODs using 2D materials are also discussed.

Field-emission from quantum-dot-in-perovskite solids

Quantum dot and well architectures are attractive for infrared optoelectronics, and have led to the realization of compelling light sensors. However, they require well-defined passivated interfaces and rapid charge transport, and this has restricted their efficient implementation to costly vacuum-epitaxially grown semiconductors. Here we report solution-processed, sensitive infrared field-emission photodetectors. Using quantum-dots-in-perovskite, we demonstrate the extraction of photocarriers via field emission, followed by the recirculation of photogenerated carriers. We use in operando ultrafast transient spectroscopy to sense bias-dependent photoemission and recapture in field-emission devices. The resultant photodiodes exploit the superior electronic transport properties of organometal halide perovskites, the quantum-size-tuned absorption of the colloidal quantum dots and their matched interface. These field-emission quantum-dot-in-perovskite photodiodes extend the perovskite response into the short-wavelength infrared and achieve measured specific detectivities that exceed 10¹² Jones. The results pave the way towards novel functional photonic devices with applications in photovoltaics and light emission.

Efficient implementation of quantum dot and well architectures are restricted to costly vacuum-epitaxially-grown semiconductors. The authors use quantum dots in perovskite to build field-emission photodiodes that are sensitive across the visible and into the short-wavelength infrared.

Preparation and Optical Properties of CuS Nanofilms by a Facile Two-Step Process

CuS nanofilms were prepared by a facile two-step process including chemical bath deposition of Cu nanofilms first and the subsequent thermal sulfuration step. The composition and structure of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Raman spectroscopy. The optical properties of CuS nanofilms were determined by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) technique. The results show that the nanofilms composed by Cu spherical nanoparticles were completely transformed to the nanofilms composed by CuS nanosheets when the sulfuration temperature was 350[Formula: see text]C. The light absorption edges of CuS nanofilms exhibit red shift when sulfuration occurred at lower temperature. A plausible growth mechanism related with gas phase reaction for formation of CuS nanofilms was also proposed.

Efficient non-halogenated solvent for the template-free solution synthesis of ultralong copper octaethylporphyrin nanowire networks with strong photoswitching properties

A non-halogenated solvent was used for the one-step and scalable synthesis of extremely high aspect ratio organic semiconducting nanowires of CuOEP which exhibit excellent photoswitching effects with reliable reproducibility and superior stability.

A Self-Powered, Sub-nanosecond-Response Solution-Processed Hybrid Perovskite Photodetector for Time-Resolved Photoluminescence-Lifetime Detection

A self-powered,solution-processed perovskite photodetector with sub-nanosecond response time is presented. Eliminating charge trapping and removing the constraints from the resistance-capacitance constant increases the response speed, which enables them to be applied in a homemade, time-resolved photoluminescence system that successfully resolves the decay process of typical fluorescence and phosphorescent materials with a recombination lifetime from several nanoseconds to microseconds.

PbS Colloidal Quantum Dot Photodetectors operating in the near infrared

Colloidal quantum dots have recently attracted lot of interest in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices due to their unique optical properties and their simple and low cost fabrication. PbS nanocrystals emerged as the most advanced colloidal material for near infrared photodetectors. In this work we report on the fabrication and characterization of PbS colloidal quantum dot photoconductors. In order to make devices suitable for the monolithic integration with silicon electronics, we propose a simple and low cost process for the fabrication of photodetectors and investigate their operation at very low voltage bias. Our photoconductors feature high responsivity and detectivity at 1.3 μm and 1 V bias with maximum values of 30 A/W and 2·10¹⁰ cmHz^1/2W⁻¹, respectively. Detectivity close to 10¹¹ cmHz^1/2W⁻¹ has been obtained resorting to bridge sensor readout.

Facile Synthesis of Co9Se8 Quantum Dots as Charge Traps for Flexible Organic Resistive Switching Memory Device

Uniform Co₉Se₈ quantum dots (CSQDs) were successfully synthesized through a facile solvothermal method. The obtained CSQDs with average size of 3.2 ± 0.1 nm and thickness of 1.8 ± 0.2 nm were demonstrated good stability and strong fluorescence under UV light after being easily dispersed in both of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and deionized water. We demonstrated the flexible resistive switching memory device based on the hybridization of CSQDs and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) (CSQDs-PVP). The device with the Al/CSQDs-PVP/Pt/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) structure represented excellent switching parameters such as high ON/OFF current ratio, low operating voltages, good stability, and flexibility. The flexible resistive switching memory device based on hybridization of CSQDs and PVP has a great potential to be used in flexible and high-performance memory applications.

Luminescent films for chemo- and biosensing

Luminescent films have received great interest for chemo-/bio-sensing applications due to their distinct advantages over solution-based probes, such as good stability and portability, tunable shape and size, non-invasion, real-time detection, extensive suitability in gas/vapor sensing, and recycling. On the other hand, they can achieve selective and sensitive detection of chemical/biological species using special luminophores with a recognition moiety or the assembly of common luminophores and functional materials. Nowadays, the extensively used assembly techniques include drop-casting/spin-coating, Langmuir-Blodgett (LB), self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), layer-by-layer (LBL), and electrospinning. Therefore, this review summarizes the recent advances in luminescent films with these assembly techniques and their applications in chemo-/bio-sensing. We mainly focused on the discussion of the relationship between the sensing properties of the films and their architecture. Furthermore, we discussed some critical challenges existing in this field and possible solutions that have been or are being developed to overcome these challenges.

Robust electric-field tunable opto-electrical behavior in Pt-NiO-Pt planar structures

Capacitor-like metal-NiO-metal structures have attracted large interest in non-volatile memory applications based on electric field control of resistance, known as resistive switching (RS). Formation of conducting nanofilaments by the application of an electric field (electroformation) is considered an important pre-requisite for RS. Besides RS, due to the wide band gap and p-type semiconducting nature, NiO has been used to fabricate heterojunctions for photodetector applications. However, very little is known about the electrical and opto-electrical properties of NiO films in planar structure. Here, we demonstrate intriguing photoresponse and electrical behavior in electroformed Pt-NiO-Pt planar structures. While the pristine devices show ohmic electrical behavior and negligible photoresponse, the electroformed devices exhibit a nonlinear rectification behavior and a remarkable photoresponse at low voltage biases. More interestingly, the devices show a dramatic change of sign of rectification under light illumination at higher voltage biases. A polarity dependent and robust gain phenomenon is demonstrated in these devices. The large sensitivity, fast response, simple design and ease of preparation of these planar structures make them attractive for integration with current circuit technologies and various novel opto-electrical applications.

Organic Photodiodes: The Future of Full Color Detection and Image Sensing

Major growth in the image sensor market is largely as a result of the expansion of digital imaging into cameras, whether stand-alone or integrated within smart cellular phones or automotive vehicles. Applications in biomedicine, education, environmental monitoring, optical communications, pharmaceutics and machine vision are also driving the development of imaging technologies. Organic photodiodes (OPDs) are now being investigated for existing imaging technologies, as their properties make them interesting candidates for these applications. OPDs offer cheaper processing methods, devices that are light, flexible and compatible with large (or small) areas, and the ability to tune the photophysical and optoelectronic properties - both at a material and device level. Although the concept of OPDs has been around for some time, it is only relatively recently that significant progress has been made, with their performance now reaching the point that they are beginning to rival their inorganic counterparts in a number of performance criteria including the linear dynamic range, detectivity, and color selectivity. This review covers the progress made in the OPD field, describing their development as well as the challenges and opportunities.

Engineering the Charge Transfer in all 2D Graphene-Nanoplatelets Heterostructure Photodetectors

Two dimensional layered (i.e. van der Waals) heterostructures open up great prospects, especially in photodetector applications. In this context, the control of the charge transfer between the constituting layers is of crucial importance. Compared to bulk or 0D system, 2D materials are characterized by a large exciton binding energy (0.1–1 eV) which considerably affects the magnitude of the charge transfer. Here we investigate a model system made from colloidal 2D CdSe nanoplatelets and epitaxial graphene in a phototransistor configuration. We demonstrate that using a heterostructured layered material, we can tune the magnitude and the direction (i.e. electron or hole) of the charge transfer. We further evidence that graphene functionalization by nanocrystals only leads to a limited change in the magnitude of the 1/f noise. These results draw some new directions to design van der Waals heterostructures with enhanced optoelectronic properties.

Hot electron induced NIR detection in CdS films

We report the use of random Au nanoislands to enhance the absorption of CdS photodetectors at wavelengths beyond its intrinsic absorption properties from visible to NIR spectrum enabling a high performance visible-NIR photodetector. The temperature dependent annealing method was employed to form random sized Au nanoparticles on CdS films. The hot electron induced NIR photo-detection shows high responsivity of ~780 mA/W for an area of ~57 μm². The simulated optical response (absorption and responsivity) of Au nanoislands integrated in CdS films confirms the strong dependence of NIR sensitivity on the size and shape of Au nanoislands. The demonstration of plasmon enhanced IR sensitivity along with the cost-effective device fabrication method using CdS film enables the possibility of economical light harvesting applications which can be implemented in future technological applications.

Morphology controlling method for amorphous silica nanoparticles and jellyfish-like nanowires and their luminescence properties

Uniform silica nanoparticles and jellyfish-like nanowires were synthesized by a chemical vapour deposition method on Si substrates treated without and with Ni(NO₃)₂, using silicon powder as the source material. Composition and structural characterization using field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the as-prepared products were silica nanoparticles and nanowires which have amorphous structures. The form of nanoparticles should be related to gas-phase nucleation procedure. The growth of the nanowires was in accordance with vapour-liquid-solid mechanism, followed by Ostwald ripening to form the jellyfish-like morphology. Photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence measurements showed that the silica products excited by different light sources show different luminescence properties. The emission spectra of both silica nanoparticles and nanowires are due to the neutral oxygen vacancies (≡Si-Si≡). The as-synthesized silica with controlled morphology can find potential applications in future nanodevices with tailorable photoelectric properties.

Self-Powered Solar-Blind Photodetector with Fast Response Based on Au/β-Ga2O3 Nanowires Array Film Schottky Junction

Because of the direct band gap of 4.9 eV, β-Ga2O3 has been considered as an ideal material for solar-blind photodetection without any bandgap tuning. Practical applications of the photodetectors require fast response speed, high signal-to-noise ratio, low energy consumption and low fabrication cost. Unfortunately, most reported β-Ga2O3-based photodetectors usually possess a relatively long response time. In addition, the β-Ga2O3 photodetectors based on bulk, the individual 1D nanostructure, and the film often suffer from the high cost, the low repeatability, and the relatively large dark current, respectively. In this paper, a Au/β-Ga2O3 nanowires array film vertical Schottky photodiode is successfully fabricated by a simple thermal partial oxidation process. The device exhibits a very low dark current of 10 pA at -30 V with a sharp cutoff at 270 nm. More interestingly, the 90-10% decay time of our device is only around 64 μs, which is much quicker than any other previously reported β-Ga2O3-based photodetectors. Besides, the self-powering, the excellent stability and the good reproducibility of Au/β-Ga2O3 nanowires array film photodetector are helpful to its commercialization and practical applications.

Nanostructured Photodetectors: From Ultraviolet to Terahertz

Inspired by nanoscience and nanoengineering, numerous nanostructured materials developed by multidisciplinary approaches exhibit excellent photoelectronic properties ranging from ultraviolet to terahertz frequencies. As a new class of building block, nanoscale elements in terms of quantum dots, nanowires, and nanolayers can be used for fabricating photodetectors with high performance. Moreover, in conjunction with traditional photodetectors, they exhibit appealing performance for practical applications including high density of integration, high sensitivity, fast response, and multifunction. Therefore, with the perspective of photodetectors constructed by diverse low-dimensional nanostructured materials, recent advances in nanoscale photodetectors are discussed here; meanwhile, challenges and promising future directions in this research field are proposed.

Graphene quantum dots-decorated ZnS nanobelts with highly efficient photocatalytic performances

Graphene quantum dots-embedded ZnS nanobelts showed 14-times higher photocatalytic activity than commercial ZnS.

Solar-blind photodetector based on Ga2O3 nanowires array film growth from inserted Al2O3 ultrathin interlayers for improving responsivity

We propose a method to obtain Ga₂O₃ nanowire films which combines the benefits of nanowires and thin films by alternative deposition of Ga₂O₃ and Al₂O₃ ultrathin layers. The nanowire film-based photodetectors exhibit much higher responsivities than smooth film-based ones.

Hybrid two-dimensional materials in rechargeable battery applications and their microscopic mechanisms

Advances in two-dimensional (2D) hybrid nanomaterials in electrochemical energy storage and their microscopic mechanisms are summarized and reviewed.