CsCu2I3 Nanoribbons on Various Substrates for UV Photodetectors

Cesium copper (I) halides, as a lead-free halide material system, have shown great potential in optoelectronic devices due to their environmental friendliness, high quantum efficiency, and extraordinary air stability. However, most of the previous reports are on quantum dots, bulk crystals, or freestanding wires. It is still challenging to realize the in-plane growth of one-dimensional (1D) cesium copper (I) halides on various substrates, which is essential for nanodevices with high integration density. Herein, we report the planar growth of CsCu2I3 nanoribbons (NBs) with high-quality single crystals on diverse substrates through a spatial-confined method. The in situ investigation of the growth process reveals that the morphology evolution of the NBs is controlled by both thermodynamics and kinetics that are dependent on the local supersaturation near the NBs. The CsCu2I3 NB-based photodetectors (PDs) exhibit an outstanding ultraviolet (UV) detection performance with a high responsivity (0.27 A/W), a specific detectivity (6.38 X 10(8) Jones), and a fast photoresponse speed (t(r)(ise)/t(decay) = 5.8/6.0 ms). Furthermore, the PDs exhibit high stability to light illumination and excellent flexibility to bending. The direct in-plane growth of the lead-free CsCu2I3 NBs on various substrates would promote the practical application of copper (I) halides in electronics and optoelectronics.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the planar growth of CsCu2I3 nanoribbons on diverse substrates through a spatial-confined method, with in situ investigation revealing the controlled morphology evolution of the nanoribbons. The CsCu2I3 nanoribbon-based photodetectors exhibit outstanding ultraviolet detection performance and stability to light illumination.