MXenes for Plasmonic Photodetection

Dhinesh Velusamy, Jehad K. El Demellawi, Ahmed El-Zohry, Andrea Giugni, Sergei Lopatin, Mohamed N. Hedhili, Ahmed Mansour, Enzo M. Di Fabrizio, Omar F. Mohammed, Husam N. Alshareef

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

196 Scopus citations

Abstract

MXenes have recently shown impressive optical and plasmonic properties associated with their ultrathin-atomic-layer structure. However, their potential use in photonic and plasmonic devices has been only marginally explored. Photodetectors made of five different MXenes are fabricated, among which molybdenum carbide MXene (Mo2CTx) exhibits the best performance. Mo2CTx MXene thin films deposited on paper substrates exhibit broad photoresponse in the range of 400–800 nm with high responsivity (up to 9 A W−1), detectivity (≈5 × 1011 Jones), and reliable photoswitching characteristics at a wavelength of 660 nm. Spatially resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy and ultrafast femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy of the MXene nanosheets reveal that the photoresponse of Mo2CTx is strongly dependent on its surface plasmon-assisted hot carriers. Additionally, Mo2CTx thin-film devices are shown to be relatively stable under ambient conditions, continuous illumination and mechanical stresses, illustrating their durable photodetection operation in the visible spectral range. Micro-Raman spectroscopy conducted on bare Mo2CTx film and on gold electrodes allowing for surface-enhanced Raman scattering demonstrates surface chemistry and a specific low-frequency band that is related to the vibrational modes of the single nanosheets. The specific ability to detect and excite individual surface plasmon modes provides a viable platform for various MXene-based optoelectronic applications.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1807658
JournalAdvanced Materials
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 20 2019

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
Acknowledgements: D.B.V. and J.K.E. contributed equally to this work. Research reported in this publication was supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The authors thank Dr. Rajeshkumar Mohanaraman for his help in the MAX phase synthesis. The authors also thank Fangwang Ming for his help with the XRD measurements and Qui Jiang for several useful discussions.

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