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 × 10 2 . This work highlights the potential of hybrid heterojunction architectures and interface engineering in advancing the performance and scalability of next-generation UV photodetectors.