Biomimetic Electrolyte-Induced Photogenerated Charge in TeSe Nanorods for Flexible Photoelectrochemical Photodetectors

Abstract

In this study, a flexible photodetector based on TeSe nanorods has been successfully constructed by using a photoelectrochemical (PEC) approach inspired by photosynthesis. The TeSe nanorods were synthesized through a modified hydrothermal reaction approach, while the biomimetic electrolytes were enriched with photosynthetic enhancers (ATP and NADPH). The resulting photodetector exhibited significantly enhanced performances compared to those lacking photosynthetic enhancers in the electrolyte. Under a light intensity of 120 mW/cm 2 and at a bias potential of 0.6 V, the photocurrent density and photoresponsivity reached 0.32 μA/cm 2 and 2.67 μA/W, respectively, approximately 1.8 times higher than those of the electrolyte without ATP or NADPH (0.18 μA/cm 2 and 1.5 μA/W). Moreover, photosynthetic enhancers also decreased the rise and decay times by 50%. This improvement in the photoresponse performance can be attributed to the synergistic interaction of ATP and NADPH, which promoted the collection and utilization of photogenerated carriers. Furthermore, the flexibility of the photodetector was demonstrated through successful operation and stability maintenance at bends of 60°and after 1000 bend cycles. This research provides an effective method for enhancing the performance of PEC-type photodetectors by combining photoanode materials with photosynthesis-inspired carrier-efficient utilization to achieve efficient light−current conversion.