Large-area flexible and transparent UV photodetector based on cross-linked Ag NW@ZnO NRs with high performance

A series of large-area, flexible and transparent ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) based on Ag nanowire (NW)@ZnO nanorods (NRs) are fabricated by an inexpensive, facile and effective approach. These Ag NW@ZnO NRs are successfully synthesized using a two-step method in an oil bath with a high surface-to-volume ratio and good crystallinity. The PDs are fabricated by drop-coating with different drop-coating times on the surface of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) coupled with Au electrodes. By optimizing the cross-linked network of Ag NW@ZnO NRs, PD2 with a size greater than 25 mm exhibits excellent photoresponse under UV light illumination of 365 nm (1.3 mW cm(-2)) with a bias of 5 V: a high sensitivity of over 10(3), and a much shorter rise/decay time of 2.6 s/2.3 s. Simultaneously, the detector exhibits an average transmittance of more than 70% in the visible light region, as well as good flexibility and excellent mechanical stability under a bending angle of 120 degrees over 1000 circles bending. These integral advantages have significant potential for practical applications and mass production. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Chinese Society for Metals.

Automated summary

A series of large-area, flexible and transparent ultraviolet photodetectors based on Ag nanowire@ZnO nanorods were fabricated using an inexpensive and effective approach. The optimized detectors exhibited excellent photoresponse and short response time under UV light illumination, along with good transmittance in the visible light region, flexibility, and mechanical stability.