Laser-Directed Bubble Printing of MXene-Based Composites: A Simple Route to Micropatterned Photodetectors

MXenes are a family of robust two-dimensional materials with tunable optical properties and high electrical conductivity ideal for optoelectronics. Herein, the direct, free-form micropatterning of MXene/semiconductor composites on glass substrates using a laser-driven microbubble is reported. As a proof-of-concept for the fabrication of photodetectors, this approach was used to print 0.09 mm² square patches of Ti₃C₂T_X MXene combined with a number of different semiconductors. MXene composites printed with In₂S₃ at different ratios revealed that a 9:1 MXene:In₂S₃ ratio had increased responsivity compared to lower ratios or MXene alone. Out of the semiconductors studied, CsPbBr₃ halide perovskite nanocrystals gave the highest responsivity value of 21.3 mA/cm² under 369 nm illumination. Bubble printing of mixed colloids into micropatterned composite materials for photodetectors has great potential to advance sensing technologies across the electromagnetic spectrum while also requiring further optimization to enhance device performance. Overall, this further advances the application of MXenes in electronic and sensing devices, laying the foundation for future developments in patterning of miniaturized photodetectors.