TiO₂/PEDOT: PSS Hybrid Matrix for Optoelectronic Devices

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles are widely investigated for their crucial optoelectronic properties. However, when these TiO₂ nanoparticles were added to a hybrid framework made of the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS), the sensitivity of the photoconductive material escalated by a factor of 1.3. The structural investigation through Raman spectroscopy, reveals the hybridization of the orbital of TiO₂ nanoparticles and PEDOT: PSS, wherein, the peaks shift (vibrational bond) has been observed. A facile route using the drop-casting technique has been utilized to engineer the hybrid TiO₂ nanoparticles and PEDOT: PSS onto the p-type silicon (p-Si) wafer. Morphological characterization through SEM and AFM reveals a layer thickness of around 1 μm and an average surface roughness of 0.191 nm, respectively. An ultraviolet (UV) light source of 365 nm wavelength and intensity of 200 mW cm⁻², was exposed to record the change in photoconductivity in light and dark modes. The hybrid films showed a response of 21.5%, almost three times better than that for the pristine PEDOT: PSS having only 7.2%, which indicates an enhanced charge transport in the hybrid films under UV light radiation. Our design approach might be successfully used in the manufacturing of several sensors that could identify the dangerous UV radiation that causes sunburn, early aging, skin cancer, and numerous other UV-related skin illnesses. Additionally, our method may be useful in creating sensors for use in biomedical, space applications, and other areas, such as the detection of bioanalytes.