Mesoporous ZnO/ZnAl2O4 mixed metal oxide-based Zn/Al layered double hydroxide as an effective anode material for visible light photodetector

Abstract

In this article, mesoporous ZnO/ZnAl2O4 mixed metal oxide (MMO) based Zn/Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) was prepared via modified co-precipitation and thermal reduction methods for visible light photodetector. A series of photodetectors were assembled using the corresponding mesoporous MMO attended with Ruthenizer dye as visible light sensitizer (535-bisTBA). Particularly, the amount of dye loaded onto the mesoporous layers was estimated through UV–Vis analysis-based regression equation, which provides a solid correlation with the fabricated device's photo-responsive performance. Simultaneously, a considerable photo-responsivity and specific photo-detectivity of the fabricated device was perceived. This could be attributed to the significant BET surface area (53 m2/g) as well as high loaded amount of dye on the prepared mesoporous layer (0.33 mMol/cm−2). In detail, the photo-responsivity and specific photo-detectivity for ZA-400 photodetector were found to be within the range of 11 mA/mW and 1011 jones, respectively; in which a superior photo-responsive behavior was acquired as compared to similar geometries. The optimum device (ZA-400) exhibited an approximate response time of 900 m s. In addition to the consistency and robustness of the proposed photodetector, this work offers an alternative approach for eco-friendly optoelectronic design.