Enhancement of Light Induced Transport Properties in Beetroot Dye-Based Biological Schottky Device Using Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) Nanoparticles

Abstract

In response to the growing demand for electronics, scientists are actively investigating alternative nonconventional, bio-compatible electronic materials suitable for electronic and optoelectronic device applications. This study focuses on enhancing the photoconductivity and photosensitivity of a beetroot (BR) dye-based Schottky device through the incorporation of Titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) nanoparticles. To achieve this, ITO(Indium tin oxide)/BR/Al (Aluminium) and ITO/BR+TiO2 /Al devices were fabricated through the spin coating technique, and their light-induced charge transport properties were examined. The thin films were also characterized through UV-Vis and FESEM analyses. Initial measurements of photoconductivity, sensitivity, and photoresponsivity of the device yielded unsatisfactory results, indicating the need for improvement to enable effective device applications. To address this, we incorporated Titanium dioxide nanoparticles with the dye by making nano-composite, leading to a remarkable enhancement in photoconductivity, increasing from 2.78×10 -8 S/m to 1.75×10 -7 S/m, and a significant boost in photosensitivity, rising from 1131.03 to 2157.67. Furthermore, we estimated other light transport properties, including diffusion length, transit time, and effective mobility, for a comprehensive analysis of the device's performance. These additional parameters also exhibited notable enhancements in the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles. This research contributes valuable insights into the application of TiO2 nanoparticles in enhancing the performance of organicbased optoelectronic devices, and it offers potential avenues for further exploration and refinement of bio-compatible electronic materials in electronic and optoelectronic applications.