PbSe Nanocrystals Produced by Facile Liquid Phase Exfoliation for Efficient UV–Vis Photodetectors

Abstract

AbstractLead selenide (PbSe)‐based nanomaterials have been extensively investigated as building blocks for next‐generation optoelectronic devices owing to their unique properties. In this work, PbSe nanocrystals (NCs) have been successfully fabricated by a facile liquid phase exfoliation approach and directly applied as active materials for photo‐electrochemical (PEC)‐type photodetectors (PDs). Taking advantage of broadband absorption and fast carrier dynamics, the PbSe NCs‐based PDs exhibit excellent photo‐current density (11.88 μA cm−2), photo‐responsivity (12.37 mA W−1), response/recovery time (0.12/0.13 s), and long‐term cycling stability. The working mechanism of PbSe NCs‐based PDs is explored by density functional theory calculations based on their structural and electronic properties under various conditions. It is anticipated that this contribution paves the way to readily fabricate low‐dimensional PbSe NCs and extend their practical applications in PEC‐type PDs.