Facile synthesis of bismuth nanoparticles for efficient self-powered broadband photodetector application

Bismuth, an emerging topological insulator, has attracted great interest due to its fascinating properties. Herein, a facile, environmentally friendly, and low-cost solvothermal route was proposed to synthesize high-quality single-crystal bismuth nanoparticles. The performance of bismuth nanoparticles photoelectrochemical-type photodetector has been systematically evaluated. The responsivity spectrum shows that the bismuth nanoparticles photodetector has a broad response range from ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared (NIR), with the highest responsivity of 4.979 mA/W at a wavelength of 405 nm without bias. Additionally, the device exhibits a fast response speed (tr < 12 ms, td < 46 ms) and a high specific detectivity (3.71 × 1010 Jones). These results indicate that bismuth nanoparticles have great potential in the application of self-powered broadband photodetectors with high responsivity. Moreover, the working mechanism of bismuth nanoparticles photodetector was proposed.