Sb2Se3 nanorods with length dependent photoresponses

Abstract The length effects on photoconductivity have been observed in Sb 2 Se 3 nanorods with uniform diameter grown by a hot-injection polyol process. The phase formation and morphology evolution of Sb 2 Se 3 nanorods were investigated by XRD and TEM analysis. By changing the reaction temperature from 150 °C to 250 °C, the sizes and aspect ratios of Sb 2 Se 3 nanorods can be easily controlled, with an average length ranged from 0.6 μm to 3.2 μm. The length-controlled nanorods were directly used for fabricating prototype photodetectors to explore their length-dependence performances. A significant increase of photoresponse with length elongation has been observed, in which the optimal device displays a remarkable response to simulated solar light with a high switching “on/off” ratio of 320, short response/recovery times (0.15/0.16 s) and long-term durability. This length-dependence property on photodetectors can be considered as an important step to promote the performance of 1D Sb 2 Se 3 nanomaterials.