High-Responsivity SiC/TiO₂ Photoelectrochemical Ultraviolet Photodetector: Heterojunctions with Fast Response Times...

The precise control of the surface properties of low-dimensional nanostructures is a prerequisite for preserving the intrinsic material quality and manipulating the carrier transport behavior to enhance optoelectronic device performance. Herein, a high-responsivity photoelectrochemical (PEC) ultraviolet (UV) photodetector (PD) based on SiC/TiO₂ heterojunction nanowires is developed. The surface of SiC nanowires is decorated with high-quality TiO₂ nanoparticles through a simple hydrothermal process, and a type-II heterojunction is established. The fabricated SiC/TiO₂ heterojunction nanowire PEC PD exhibited excellent photoresponsivity with high responsivity (50.97 mA W^-1), detectivity (1.07 × 10¹² Jones), and external quantum efficiency (16.85%) under 375 nm ultraviolet illumination. Response and decay times are as low as 0.3 and 0.1 ms, respectively-these values are within the state-of-the-art range for semiconductor nanostructure-based PEC PDs reported thus far. The device also exhibits excellent photoresponsivity and long-term stability under different light intensities, even in harsh universal-pH liquid environments, including acidic, neutral, and alkaline solutions with different concentrations. The elevated photodetection performance of the device is primarily attributed to the effective synergistic effect of the formation of a type-II charge transfer pathway in the SiC/TiO₂ heterostructure, the optimal load capacity of TiO₂ nanoparticles, and the excellent inherent corrosion resistance of SiC and TiO₂.