Photoresponse Enhancement in Monolayer ReS2 Phototransistor Decorated with CdSe-CdS-ZnS Quantum Dots

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2017 Nov 15;9(45):39456-39463. doi: 10.1021/acsami.7b10349. Epub 2017 Oct 31.

Abstract

ReS2 films are considered as a promising candidate for optoelectronic applications due to their direct band gap character and optical/electrical anisotropy. However, the direct band gap in a narrow spectrum and the low absorption of atomically thin flakes weaken the prospect for light-harvesting applications. Here, we developed an efficient approach to enhance the performance of a ReS2-based phototransistor by coupling CdSe-CdS-ZnS core-shell quantum dots. Under 589 nm laser irradiation, the responsivity of the ReS2 phototransistor decorated with quantum dots could be enhanced by more than 25 times (up to ∼654 A/W) and the rising and recovery time can be also reduced to 3.2 and 2.8 s, respectively. The excellent optoelectronic performance is originated from the coupling effect of quantum dots light absorber and cross-linker ligands 1,2-ethanedithiol. Photoexcited electron-hole pairs in quantum dots can separate and transfer efficiently due to the type-II band alignment and charge exchange process at the interface. Our work shows that the simple hybrid zero- and two-dimensional hybrid system can be employed for photodetection applications.

Keywords: 0D−2D hybrid system; ReS2; exfoliation; photodetector; quantum dots.