Ultrathin Non‐van der Waals Chromium Sulfide: Liquid Phase Exfoliation, Characterization, and Self‐Powered Photoelectrochemical Photodetector Application

Abstract

AbstractIn the search for new advanced 2D materials for technological applications and to expand the research of non‐van der Waals (non‐vdW) 2D electronic devices, this study presents a novel strategy for liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) of non‐vdW Cr2S3 to produce Cr2S3 nanosheets (NSs). By utilizing N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), bulk Cr2S3 is separated along the (001) plane, resulting in the formation of NSs with an average thickness of ≈3 nm. Various characterization techniques are applied to the Cr2S3 material before and after LPE. Subsequently, the obtained Cr2S3 NSs are integrated into a photoelectrochemical (PEC)‐type photodetector (PD) to evaluate the photoelectric conversion efficiency under varying conditions. The findings indicate that the developed PD exhibits a distinct self‐powered photodetection capability with a photocurrent (Pph) of 39.5 nA cm−2, a photoresponsivity (Rph) of 622 nA W−1, and a detectivity (D*) of 0.5 × 107 Jones under 350 nm irradiation at 0 V. Moreover, the PD demonstrates rapid response time (0.06 s) and good long‐term stability (over 15 days), thus providing valuable insight for the advancement of non‐vdW Cr2S3‐based optoelectronic devices.