High-performance broadband self-powered photoelectrochemical photodetector based on SnPSe3 for wireless optical communication

As a transition metal phosphorus trichalcogenide semiconductor, SnPSe 3 exhibits high carrier mobility and excellent light absorption capability, demonstrating significant application potential in the field of photodetection. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) photodetectors have garnered significant attention due to their inherent self-powered nature and straightforward fabrication process. In this study, SnPSe 3 bulk crystals were synthesized via chemical vapor transport method and the SnPSe 3 -based PEC photodetector was further fabricated using drop-coating technique. The device’s self-powered photoelectric performance was investigated in acidic electrolyte environment by varying the incident light power, wavelength, and bias voltage. It showed that the device achieved self-powered response across a broad spectral range of 400–900 nm. Under white light and self-powered conditions, the photocurrent density and responsivity reached maximum values of 18.53 µA cm −2 and 75.44 µA W −1 , respectively. Excellent self-powered operation stability was confirmed after 10,000 s cyclic test. At 0 V bias, the device demonstrated optimal optical response performance in the visible light region (400–520 nm) and the response times reached 7/8 ms at 520 nm. This study implies promising application potential of SnPSe 3 in high-performance energy saving optoelectronic devices in wireless optical communication.