High-performance self-powered electrochemical photodetectors based on co-precipitation and hydrothermally synthesized HgS nanoparticles

In the realm of current technological advancements, the development of efficient materials for diverse applications is paramount. Photodetectors are crucial components in applications, such as optical communication systems, sensing devices, and imaging technologies, driving extensive research efforts to enhance their performance. This study presents a comprehensive exploration of mercury sulfide synthesized via two distinct methods, co-precipitation (HS) and hydrothermal method (HSA), focusing on their applicability as thin films for photodetectors. XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of both samples, with HS exhibiting a cubic structure and HSA displaying a combination of cubic and hexagonal structures. UV–Visible spectra indicated absorbance in both the visible and UV regions for the samples, with HSA showing a higher number of absorbance peaks compared to HS. FESEM analysis revealed agglomerated spherical morphologies for both HS and HSA. Electrochemical analysis demonstrated a diffusion-controlled behavior for both samples. Moreover, self-powered electrochemical photodetectors (ECPD) based on synthesized HgS thin films were fabricated and characterized. The ECPD devices exhibited remarkable performance metrics underscoring superior values of responsivity (0.00329 ± 0.00012 mA/W) and rise time (0.07 ± 0.002 secs) of HSA at 0 V bias. The comprehensive analysis using various techniques provides valuable insights into the properties of the synthesized mercury sulfide samples, highlighting the enhanced photodetector capabilities of HSA over HS, paving the way for its application in advanced self-powered optoelectronic devices.