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Photoelectric Nanomaterials for Biochemical Sensing, Photon Detection, and Energy Conversion Applications

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A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanophotonics Materials and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 8672

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Shaolong Wu

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Guest Editor

School of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
Interests: micro- and nano-optics; optoelectronic sensors and detectors; photoelectrochemical cells; visible light communication

Prof. Dr. Long Wen

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Guest Editor

Institute of Nanophotonics, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
Interests: plasmonics; photodetectors; biosensors; on-chip spectrometers; electro-optic modulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Xiaobo Hu

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Guest Editor

School of Communication & Electronic Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
Interests: solar cells; defects; semiconductor optoelectronics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Photoelectric devices are generally regarded as the cornerstones of the opto-electronic information industry. In recent decades, although significant progress has been made in the development of photoelectric devices for a variety of applications, the understanding and optimization design of high-performance photoelectric devices still requires improvement in various specific applications. Recently, the emerging use of nanostructures/nanomaterials in newly developed nanotechnology has provided opportunities to significantly promote the performance of devices by enhancing the efficiencies of optical absorption, carrier separation and transfer. On the other hand, numerous kinds of new materials and device configurations, such as perovskite materials, organic–inorganic heterojunctions, nanophotonics, and semiconductor-electrolyte junction, have been developed. The combination of nanostructures/nanomaterials and new (or traditional) materials and device configurations will surely lead to a much improved performance of photoelectric devices. One significant reason for this is that nanostructures/nanomaterials enable significantly enhanced light harvesting in a very small region, where the transport distance for photogenerated carrier extraction is very small and the active sites for photogenerated carrier transfer are relatively dense.

This Special Issue covers the most recent advances in photoelectric nanomaterials for the biochemical sensing, photon detection, and energy conversion applications. This includes the nanomaterial synthesis, fundamental physics, device design, nanostructure fabrication, characterizations of photoelectric responses, and related specific applications, as well as advanced analytical methods and techniques in photoelectric devices.

Prof. Dr. Shaolong Wu
Prof. Dr. Long Wen
Dr. Xiaobo Hu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

carrier transport
photoelectric sensing
photon detection
solar energy conversion
plasmonics
nanomaterial growth
Schottky junction
photoelectrochemical responses
solar cells

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fast-Response Micro-Phototransistor Based on MoS₂/Organic Molecule Heterojunction

by Shaista Andleeb, Xiaoyu Wang, Haiyun Dong, Sreeramulu Valligatla, Christian Niclaas Saggau, Libo Ma, Oliver G. Schmidt and Feng Zhu

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(9), 1491; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13091491 - 27 Apr 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1845

Abstract

Over the past years, molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has been the most extensively studied two-dimensional (2D) semiconductormaterial. With unique electrical and optical properties, 2DMoS₂ is considered to be a promising candidate for future nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, charge trapping leads to a persistent photoconductance (PPC), hindering its use for optoelectronic applications. To overcome these drawbacks and improve the optoelectronic performance, organic semiconductors (OSCs) are selected to passivate surface defects, tune the optical characteristics, and modify the doping polarity of 2D MoS₂. Here, we demonstrate a fast photoresponse in multilayer (ML) MoS₂ by addressing a heterojunction interface with vanadylphthalocyanine (VOPc) molecules. The MoS₂/VOPc van der Waals interaction that has been established encourages the PPC effect in MoS₂ by rapidly segregating photo-generated holes, which move away from the traps of MoS₂ toward the VOPc molecules. The MoS₂/VOPc phototransistor exhibits a fast photo response of less than 15 ms for decay and rise, which is enhanced by 3ordersof magnitude in comparison to that of a pristine MoS₂-based phototransistor (seconds to tens of seconds). This work offers a means to realize high-performance transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD)-based photodetection with a fast response speed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoelectric Nanomaterials for Biochemical Sensing, Photon Detection, and Energy Conversion Applications)

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12 pages, 2268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unbiased and Signal-Weakening Photoelectrochemical Hexavalent Chromium Sensing via a CuO Film Photocathode

by Wenxiang Lu, Lu Ma, Shengchen Ke, Rouxi Zhang, Weijian Zhu, Linling Qin and Shaolong Wu

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(9), 1479; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13091479 - 26 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1019

Abstract

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors show great potential for the detection of heavy metal ions because of their low background noise, high sensitivity, and ease of integration. However, the detection limit is relatively high for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) monitoring in addition to the requirement of an external bias. Herein, a CuO film is readily synthesized as the photoactive material via reactive sputtering and thermal annealing in the construction of a PEC sensing photocathode for Cr(VI) monitoring. A different mechanism (i.e., Signal-Weakening PEC sensing) is confirmed by examining the electrochemical impedance and photocurrent response of different CuO film photoelectrodes prepared with the same conditions in contact with various solutions containing concentration-varying Cr(VI) for different durations. The detection of Cr(VI) is successfully achieved with the Signal-Weakening PEC response; a drop of photocathode signal with an increasing Cr(VI) concentration from the steric hindrance effect of the in situ formed Cr(OH)₃ precipitates. The photocurrent of the optimized CuO film photocathode linearly declines as the concentration of Cr(VI) increases from 0.08 to 20 µM, with a detection limit down to 2.8 nM (Signal/Noise = 3) and a fitted sensitivity of 4.22 µA·μM⁻¹. Moreover, this proposed sensing route shows operation simplicity, satisfactory selectivity, and reproducibility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoelectric Nanomaterials for Biochemical Sensing, Photon Detection, and Energy Conversion Applications)

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10 pages, 2139 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy of Ultrathin Gold Films

by Dmitry I. Yakubovsky, Dmitry V. Grudinin, Georgy A. Ermolaev, Andrey A. Vyshnevyy, Mikhail S. Mironov, Sergey M. Novikov, Aleksey V. Arsenin and Valentyn S. Volkov

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(8), 1376; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13081376 - 15 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1613

Abstract

Ultrathin metal films are an essential platform for two-dimensional (2D) material compatible and flexible optoelectronics. Characterization of thin and ultrathin film-based devices requires a thorough consideration of the crystalline structure and local optical and electrical properties of the metal-2D material interface since they could be dramatically different from the bulk material. Recently, it was demonstrated that the growth of gold on the chemical vapor deposited monolayer MoS₂ leads to a continuous metal film that preserves plasmonic optical response and conductivity even at thicknesses below 10 nm. Here, we examined the optical response and morphology of ultrathin gold films deposited on exfoliated MoS₂ crystal flakes on the SiO₂/Si substrate via scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM). We demonstrate a direct relationship between the ability of thin film to support guided surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) and the s-SNOM signal intensity with a very high spatial resolution. Using this relationship, we observed the evolution of the structure of gold films grown on SiO₂ and MoS₂ with an increase in thickness. The continuous morphology and superior ability with respect to supporting SPPs of the ultrathin (≤10 nm) gold on MoS₂ is further confirmed with scanning electron microscopy and direct observation of SPP fringes via s-SNOM. Our results establish s-SNOM as a tool for testing plasmonic films and motivate further theoretical research on the impact of the interplay between the guided modes and the local optical properties on the s-SNOM signal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoelectric Nanomaterials for Biochemical Sensing, Photon Detection, and Energy Conversion Applications)

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Review

Jump to: Research

29 pages, 4343 KiB

Open AccessReview

Design Strategy and Application of Deep Eutectic Solvents for Green Synthesis of Nanomaterials

by Nguyen Nhat Nam, Hoang Dang Khoa Do, Kieu The Loan Trinh and Nae Yoon Lee

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(7), 1164; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13071164 - 24 Mar 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3576

Abstract

The first report of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) was released in 2003 and was identified as a new member of ionic liquid (IL), involving innovative chemical and physical characteristics. Using green solvent technology concerning economical, practical, and environmental aspects, DESs open the window for sustainable development of nanomaterial fabrication. The DESs assist in different fabrication processes and design nanostructures with specific morphology and properties by tunable reaction conditions. Using DESs in synthesis reactions can reduce the required high temperature and pressure conditions for decreasing energy consumption and the risk of environmental contamination. This review paper provides the recent applications and advances in the design strategy of DESs for the green synthesis of nanomaterials. The strategy and application of DESs in wet-chemical processes, nanosize reticular material fabrication, electrodeposition/electrochemical synthesis of nanostructures, electroless deposition, DESs based nano-catalytic and nanofluidic systems are discussed and highlighted in this review. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoelectric Nanomaterials for Biochemical Sensing, Photon Detection, and Energy Conversion Applications)

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