Enhanced Ultraviolet Photodetection via Ultraporous ZnO/PEDOT:PSS Hybrid Architectures

Ultraviolet photodetectors are essential for applications ranging from environmental sensing to optoelectronics. ZnO is a widely studied UV-sensitive material due to its wide bandgap and structural tunability; however, devices based on pristine ZnO nanostructures often face challenges such as inefficient electron-hole separation, resulting in reduced photocurrent and consequently suppressed photoresponsvity. To address these limitations, we report the fabrication of ultraporous ZnO/PEDOT:PSS hybrid photodetectors that deliver enhanced photoresponsivity and improved stability. The hybrid architecture integrates a high-surface-area ZnO framework with a tailored PEDOT:PSS interface, forming localized p-n heterojunction domains that promote efficient carrier separation and suppress recombination. The optimized device (Z/P_0.025%) achieved a responsivity of ∼4.1 A·W^-1 at 340 nm and a phototo-dark current ratio of ≈7 × 10². This work highlights the potential of hybrid heterojunction architectures and interface engineering in advancing the performance and scalability of next-generation UV photodetectors.