Copper oxide and copper nanoparticles insertion within a PPy matrix for photodetector applications

A uniform spherical nanocomposite of polypyrrole (PPy)/ CuO has been formed through the polymerization of PPy in presence of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs). This nanocomposite consists of PPy and semiconductor copper oxide (CuO), with the incorporation of Cu plasmonic material are have excellent optical properties in a wide range of wavelengths. The morphology of the nanocomposite has been analyzed through TEM and SEM, which showed that the particles were uniform and consisted of small particles attached to form a larger particle with an average size ranging from 170 to 510 nm. XPS and XRD are confirming the elemental and composition of the materials. The PPy/Cu–CuO nanocomposite was used as a photodetector, and it showed great performance under both dark and light conditions and under monowavelength. The photodetector device had a high photoresponsivity (R) of 0.036 mA W −1 and detectivity (D) of 8.1*10 5 Jones, demonstrating its high sensitivity. The device's sensitivity was demonstrated through its excellent reproducibility under on/off chopped light. Due to its higher efficiency and affordability, this device is well-suited for industrial applications.