Ultrathin CuBi2O4 on a bipolar Bi2O3 nano-scaffold: a self-powered broadband photoelectrochemical photodetector with improved responsivity and response speed

Abstract

CuBi₂O₄ is a promising photoactive material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) broadband photodetectors due to its suitable band structure, but its photo-responsivity is severely limited by the short carrier diffusion length and long light penetration depth. To address the trade-off between light absorption and charge separation, a nano-structured bipolar Bi₂O₃ host scaffold was coupled with an ultrathin CuBi₂O₄ light absorbing layer to construct a host–guest Bi₂O₃/CuBi₂O₄ photocathode. The work function of the bipolar Bi₂O₃ scaffold lies in between FTO and CuBi₂O₄, making Bi₂O₃ a suitable back contact layer for hole transport. Compared with the flat CuBi₂O₄ and Bi₂O₃ scaffold counterpart, the nanostructured Bi₂O₃/CuBi₂O₄ exhibits significantly improved light absorption and enhanced charge separation efficiency. The Bi₂O₃/CuBi₂O₄ PEC photodetector can be self-powered and demonstrates a broad photo-response ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to near infrared (NIR). It shows a high responsivity of 75 mA W⁻¹ and a remarkable short response time of 0.18 ms/0.19 ms. Bi₂O₃/CuBi₂O₄ prepared by magnetron sputtering demonstrates great potential for rapid PEC photodetection in a wide optical domain.