Ag-Nanoparticle-Coupled UV-Responsive Gelatin Nanofiber Photodetectors

In this era of environmental protection and performance,the developmentof organic photodetectors is booming. The hydrogel material is beginningto attract attention because of its characteristics such as plasticityand ecofriendliness. However, it is still a challenge to achieve ahigh-speed response in biophotodetectors. Herein, the developmentof an organic one-dimensional nanostructured photodetector is proposedthrough rotary-jet injection of gelatin fibers incorporated with silvernanoparticles (Ag NPs). The variation in the photoelectric propertiesof thin-film, fibrous structures with different diameters of approximately40 mu m and 400 nm has been investigated. In particular, the gelatin-AgNPs fiber photoreceptor with a diameter of about 400 nm improved thelight-to-dark current ratio by up to 28000% higher than the film structure,with rise and decay times of only 0.23 and 0.56 s. In addition, thenanostructure effectively boosts the photocurrent and suppresses thedark current because of its confining domains. The Ag NPs within thegelatin nanofibers produce localized surface plasmon resonance inthe UV-illumination environment, enhancing the light absorption ofthe photosensitive layer, which contributes directly to the increasein the rate of excitons. The novel structure of the hybridized gelatinnanofibers incorporating silver nitrate has offered the promisingpotential for organic photodetectors.