Lateral PbS Photovoltaic Devices for High Performance Infrared and Terahertz Photodetectors.

We fabricated a lateral photovoltaic device for use as infrared to terahertz (THz) detectors by chemically depositing PbS films on titanium substrates. We discussed the material properties of PbS films grown on glass with varying deposition conditions. PbS was deposited on Ti substrates and by taking advantage of the Ti/PbS Schottky junction, we discussed the photocurrent transients as well as the room temperature spectrum response measured by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. Our photovoltaic PbS device operates at room temperature for wavelength ranges up to 50 µm, which is in the terahertz region, making the device highly applicable in many fields.

Data for direct chemical deposition of PbS on chemical vapor deposition grown-graphene for high performance photovoltaic infrared photo-detectors.

Over the past decades, graphene has attracted much attention from the scientific community due to its broad applications in the optoelectronics industries [1]. Owing to graphene's high transmission and high electrical conductivity, diverse functional materials/graphene hybridized heterostructures and interfaces are under extensive investigation to satisfy the increasing interest in the need for bendable, flexible and high performance optoelectronic devices [2]. Due to the good atomic lattice structure of graphene, varying heterostructures have been formed by depositing different functional materials directly on graphene [3], [4], [5]. We fabricated a vertical photovoltaic type G/PbS/Ti device by making use of the Ti/PbS Schottky junction and discussed the photocurrent transient characteristics. Lead sulfide (PbS) was deposited directly on large area CVD (Chemical vapor deposition) graphene by CBD (Chemical bath deposition). Temperature dependent photocurrent spectra of our G/PbS/Ti photovoltaic devices were measured by a Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) set-up. In this paper, we present the experimental procedures and the raw experimental data for the direct chemical deposition of PbS on CVD-graphene for high performance photovoltaic infrared photo-detectors. The manuscript is already available [6].

Water-Soluble Extract from Actinidia arguta (Siebold & Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq. and Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, ACTPER, Ameliorates a Dry Skin-Induced Itch in a Mice Model and Promotes Filaggrin Expression by Activating the AhR Signaling in HaCaT Cells.

With a complex etiology involving multiple factors, the condition known as itch is a primary symptom of many skin diseases. Current treatment methods are ineffective for addressing itches caused by dry skin, for example. We developed a botanical extract, ACTPER, made from a mixture of Actinidia arguta and Perilla frutescens, which have traditionally been used to treat itch. The quality of ACTPER as a research agent was controlled in our experiment by cell-based bioassays, as well as by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), using two chemical markers. In the acetone-induced dry skin mice model, the oral administration of ACTPER alleviated dry skin-related skin properties and itching behavior. The RNA and protein expression of the filament aggregating protein (filaggrin) gene, a key factor involved in the regulation of skin barrier function, was significantly increased, as measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence assay. To understand the underlying mechanism(s) at the molecular level, HaCaT cells, a human keratinocyte-derived cell line, were treated with various concentrations of ACTPER. We found that the protein expression of filaggrin was indeed upregulated by ACTPER in a dose dependent manner. Data from experiments involving the reporter plasmid containing the xenobiotic response element (XRE), and the chemical antagonist for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), indicated that the ACTPER-mediated upregulation of filaggrin was controlled through the activation of the AhR signaling pathway. The molecular docking simulation study predicted that ACTPER might contain chemical compounds that bind directly to AhR. Taken together, our results suggest that ACTPER may provide the platform, based upon which a variety of safe and effective therapeutic agents can be developed to treat itch.

Photocurrent spectra from PbS photovoltaic infrared detectors using silver nanowires as plasmonic nano antenna electrodes.

We discussed structural and electrical properties of PbS films deposited by chemical bath deposition. The crystallite size of our films measured by transmission electron microscope was as large as 0.2 µm in a lateral direction and 1 µm in a vertical direction, and we obtained a high mobility value of 60 cm2 V-1 s-1 at room temperature. We also demonstrated PbS photovoltaic infrared detectors using silver nanowires as transparent electrodes, whose spectral response was measured by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The cut-off wavelength was ∼3 µm at room temperature and ∼4 µm at 10 K. At 100 K, a pronounced photocurrent peak was observed at λ = 3.7 µm. Using finite difference time domain simulations, we demonstrated that silver nanowires worked as nano antennas for generating surface plasmons, resulting in the enhancement of photocurrent. The pronounced photocurrent peak wavelength corresponds to the wavelength where the silver nanowires were located near the constructive interference.

Optical properties and bridge photodetector integration of lead sulfide nanowires.

We studied optical properties and photocurrent characteristics of PbS nanowires grown by chemical vapor deposition. Distinct bandedge photoluminescence (PL) emission was observed in the mid-infrared spectral range and the quantum confinement effect estimated from the PL peak energy was within 40 meV, consistent with the average diameter of the nanowire (∼70 nm) being significantly larger than the exciton Bohr radius (∼18 nm). We also demonstrated interdigit photo detectors making use of these PbS nanowires suspended between two pre-patterned Ti electrodes, where Ti also acted as metal catalyst for the nanowire growth. The threshold wavelength of the photocurrent was found to be ∼3 µm at room temperature.

Photoluminescence properties of lead selenide produced by selenization and a solvothermal method.

We studied temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectra of lead selenide (PbSe) dendrites and cubes grown by a solvothermal method. Their PL peaks were located at ∼8 µm at 10 K with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 10 meV. Using the temperature-dependent FWHM values, we obtained carrier-phonon coupling coefficients for PbSe. We also demonstrated mechanochemical synthesis of polycrystalline PbS nanoparticles and their successful conversion into a PbSe layer composed of nanocrystals by a selenization process with thermal treatment. The nanocrystals were found to be formed by the orientation alignment of small grains in the process. The PL peak energies of the PbSe layers as well as the PbSe dendrites and the cubes agreed well with their absorption edges in the transmission spectra, indicating that the photoluminescence originates from the band-edge emission. The band-edge emissions hold promise for the development of potential mid-infrared light sources using PbSe fabricated by these methods.

Temperature dependent photoluminescence from lead sulfide nanosheets and nanocubes.

We studied temperature dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectra in the mid-infrared range from lead sulfide (PbS) nanosheets with an average thickness of 25 nm and nanocubes grown by solvothermal and hydrothermal methods. Distinct bandedge PL emission was observed in the whole temperature range between 10 and 300 K, indicating the high optical quality of these nanostructures. The PL peak of the nanosheets was found at 0.326 eV at 10 K, about 40 meV higher than that of bulk PbS due to the quantum confinement effect, whereas no confinement effect was observed for the nanocubes. We also demonstrate that the absorption edges of the nanocubes and nanosheets in the transmission spectra agree very well with their fundamental bandgap.