Large-area flexible and transparent UV photodetector based on cross-linked Ag NW@ZnO NRs with high performance

Abstract A series of large-area, flexible and transparent ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) based on Ag nanowire (NW)@ZnO nanorods (NRs) are fabricated by an inexpensive, facile and effective approach. These Ag NW@ZnO NRs are successfully synthesized using a two-step method in an oil bath with a high surface-to-volume ratio and good crystallinity. The PDs are fabricated by drop-coating with different drop-coating times on the surface of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) coupled with Au electrodes. By optimizing the cross-linked network of Ag NW@ZnO NRs, PD2 with a size greater than 25 mm exhibits excellent photoresponse under UV light illumination of 365 nm (1.3 mW cm−2) with a bias of 5 V: a high sensitivity of over 103, and a much shorter rise/decay time of 2.6 s/2.3 s. Simultaneously, the detector exhibits an average transmittance of more than 70% in the visible light region, as well as good flexibility and excellent mechanical stability under a bending angle of 120 degrees over 1000 circles bending. These integral advantages have significant potential for practical applications and mass production.