Synergistic effect of metal doping and polymer scaffolding in carbon dots for enhancing photocurrent generation and broadband photo response in photodetectors

Abstract

Photodetectors are indispensable in a wide array of modern newlinetechnologies, from optical communications and medical imaging to newlineenvironmental monitoring and consumer electronics. However, the currently newlineused inorganic materials for photodetectors often involve complex newlinepreparation methods and hazardous substances. Over the past two decades, newlinenew carbon allotropes such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and newlinegraphene have been discovered. Among these, zero-dimensional carbon dots newline(CDs), discovered in 2004, have shown promising properties for newlineoptoelectronic applications. newlineCarbon dots are quasi-spherical particles with a sp2/sp3 hybridized newlinecarbon core and surface functional groups such as carboxyl and hydroxyl newlinegroups. CDs boast advantages like low cost, low toxicity, facile synthesis, newlinetunable luminescence, ease of functionalization, water dispersibility, newlineimproved quantum yield, and biocompatibility. These properties make them newlinesuitable for diverse applications, including sensors, optoelectronics, energy newlinestorage, anti-counterfeiting, and biomedicine. Their strong UV absorption is newlineparticularly valuable for UV photodetector applications. However, CDs face newlinechallenges such as surface defects and trap states that hinder efficient charge newlinetransport, necessitating further improvements for photodetector performance. newline