Semiconducting Plant Extracts of Cucurbita Pepo L. Seeds for Facile, Inexpensive, Fully Solution-Processed, Transparent Photodetector Fabrication

Year 2024, Volume: 40 Issue: 2, 372 - 382, 31.08.2024

Muzeyyen Savas , Beyza Bozkurt , Dilber Akcan , Ruby Phul , Talha Erdem , Zeliha Soran Erdem

Abstract

Solution-processable materials attract significant interest in the development of high-efficiency, cost-effective optoelectronic devices. However, widely used high-performance materials often suffer from high toxicity, low biocompatibility, and synthesis procedures hazardous to human health and the environment. As cost-effective, sustainable alternatives to the conventional solution-processed semiconductors, here we evaluate the potential of plant extracts. Within this framework, here we present photodetectors employing the extract of Cucurbita pepo L. (pumpkin) seeds. The extracted material exhibits a strong absorption peak in the UV region (~280 nm) and a weaker absorption band between 400-450 nm. Its fluorescence spectrum covers the blue-green region of the spectrum and possesses sharp and dominant peaks at 650 nm and 730 nm. For photodetector fabrication, we drop-cast the extract acting as the active material between two electric contacts formed by treating a conductive film of silver nanowires and zinc oxide nanoparticles using a surgical blade. The resulting device demonstrates a maximum responsivity of ~1.61 mA/W at 5 V bias voltage. Being fully solution-processed, transparent photodetectors, this proof-of-concept device employing plant extracts showcases a new material system in active optoelectronic devices as sustainable, inexpensive, and easy-to-handle alternatives to their conventional counterparts.

Keywords

Plant extract, Pumpkin seed, Cucurbita pepo L, Photodetectors.

Project Number

123M876

Thanks

ZSE acknowledges to The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBİTAK) ARDEB 1001 Grant No:123M876. TE acknowledges the BAGEP Award from the Science Academy and the GEBIP Award from the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA).

Kolay, Ucuz, Tamamen Çözeltiyle İşlenmiş ve Şeffaf Fotodetektör Üretimi için Cucurbita Pepo L. Tohumlarının Yarı İletken Bitki Özütleri

Abstract

Öz: Çözeltide işlenebilen malzemeler, yüksek verimli ve uygun maliyetli optoelektronik cihazların geliştirilmesinde büyük ilgi görmektedir. Bununla birlikte, yaygın olarak kullanılan yüksek performanslı malzemeler sıklıkla yüksek toksisiteye, düşük biyouyumluluğa ve insan sağlığına ve çevreye zararlı sentez prosedürlerine sahiptir. Geleneksel, çözeltiyle işlenmiş yarı iletkenlere uygun maliyetli ve sürdürülebilir alternatifler olarak, sunulan çalışmada bitki ekstraktlarının potansiyeli araştırılmaktadır. Bu çerçevede, burada Cucurbita pepo L. (balkabağı) çekirdeği ekstraktı içeren fotodetektörler sunulmaktadır. Balkabağı çekirdeğinden elde edilen özütümüz, UV bölgesinde (~280 nm) güçlü bir abzorbans gösterirken, 400-450 nm arasında daha zayıf bir abzorbans bandına sahiptir. Özütün floresans spektrumu incelendiğinde, ışımanın mavi-yeşil spektrum bölgesinde özellikle de 650 nm ve 730 nm'de keskin ve baskın tepe noktalarına sahip olduğu görülmektedir. Fotodedektör üretimi için, gümüş nanotellerden ve çinko oksit nanopartiküllerinden oluşan iletken bir filmin cerrahi bir bıçak kullanılarak işlenmesiyle iki elektrik kontağı oluşturulmuş, daha sonra bu iki kontak arasına aktif malzeme görevi gören ekstrakt damlatılmıştır. Ortaya çıkan cihaz, 5 V öngerilim voltajında ~1,61 mA/W'lik maksimum yanıt vermiştir. Bu çalışmada üretmiş olduğumuz tamamen çözeltiyle işlenmiş, şeffaf ve bitki özü içeren konsept ispatı fotodetektör cihazı, aktif optoelektronik cihazlarda geleneksel muadillerine göre sürdürülebilir, ucuz ve kullanımı kolay alternatif yeni bir malzeme sistemi olarak gelecek çalışmalara ışık tutacaktır.

Keywords

Kolay, Ucuz, Tamamen Çözeltiyle İşlenmiş ve Şeffaf Fotodetektör Üretimi için Cucurbita Pepo L. Tohumlarının Yarı İletken Bitki Özütleri

Project Number

123M876

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