Highly sensitive broadband flexible photodetectors based on a blend film with zinc octaethylporphyrin long nanowires embedded in an insulating polymer

Blend films with long nanowires of zinc octaethylporphyrin (ZnOEP) embedded in an insulating polymer of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) have been successfully fabricated by a one-step spin-coating process. Concerning photoactive blends based on small-molecule semiconductors, this is quite a novel strategy and allows us to greatly reduce the issues related to low device performance, such as phase-separation, poor connectivity of the semiconducting layer, and higher densities of interfacial defects. Intensive studies on the correlation between the film morphology and device performance have revealed that excellent photodetector performance is derived from efficient charge transport and good connectivity observed in highly crystalline, interconnected ZnOEP nanowires embedded in an insulating PMMA matrix. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a blend-film-based organic photodetector, which exhibits high sensitivity, high stability, high I(on)/I(off) ratio, excellent mechanical flexibility, and a broadband responsivity region extending up to 1050 nm. The unique characteristics of facile fabrication, high sensitivity, excellent mechanical stability, and broadband responsivity can make the blend film of ZnOEP and PMMA promising in large-area flexible photodetectors.