A hierarchical nano- and microstructured morphology for visible-blind UV photo-detectors is developed, which provides record-high milliampere photocurrents, nanoampere dark currents, and excellent selectivity to ultralow UV light intensities. This is a significant step toward the integration of high-performance UV photodetectors in wearable devices.

Accurate detection of UV light by wearable low-power devices has many important applications including environmental monitoring, space to space communication, and defense. Here, we report the structural engineering of ultraporous ZnO nanoparticle networks for fabrication of very low-voltage high-performance UV photodetectors. A record high photo- to dark-current ratio of 3.3 × 10 and detectivity of 3.2 × 10 Jones at an ultralow operation bias of 2 mV and low UV-light intensity of 86 μW·cm are achieved by controlling the interplay between grain boundaries and surface depletion depth of ZnO nanoscale semiconductors. An optimal window of structural properties is determined by varying the particle size of ultraporous nanoparticle networks from 10 to 42 nm. We find that small electron-depleted nanoparticles (≤40 nm) are necessary to minimize the dark-current; however, the rise in photocurrent is tampered with decreasing particle size due to the increasing density of grain boundaries. These findings reveal that nanoparticles with a size close to twice their Debye length are required for high photo- to dark-current ratio and detectivity, while further decreasing their size decreases the photodetector performance.

Hybrid halide perovskite is one of the promising light absorber and is intensively investigated for many optoelectronic applications. Here, the first prototype of a self-powered inorganic halides perovskite for chemical gas sensing at room temperature under visible-light irradiation is presented. These devices consist of porous network of CsPbBr (CPB) and can generate an open-circuit voltage of 0.87 V under visible-light irradiation, which can be used to detect various concentrations of O and parts per million concentrations of medically relevant volatile organic compounds such as acetone and ethanol with very quick response and recovery time. It is observed that O gas can passivate the surface trap sites in CPB and the ambipolar charge transport in the perovskite layer results in a distinct sensing mechanism compared with established semiconductors with symmetric electrical response to both oxidizing and reducing gases. The platform of CPB-based gas sensor provides new insights for the emerging area of wearable sensors for personalized and preventive medicine.

Visible-blind ultraviolet photodetectors are a promising emerging technology for the development of wide bandgap optoelectronic devices with greatly reduced power consumption and size requirements. A standing challenge is to improve the slow response time of these nanostructured devices. Here, we present a three-dimensional nanoscale heterojunction architecture for fast-responsive visible-blind UV photodetectors. The device layout consists of p-type NiO clusters densely packed on the surface of an ultraporous network of electron-depleted n-type ZnO nanoparticles. This 3D structure can detect very low UV light densities while operating with a near-zero power consumption of ca. 4 × 10 watts and a low bias of 0.2 mV. Most notably, heterojunction formation decreases the device rise and decay times by 26 and 20 times, respectively. These drastic enhancements in photoresponse dynamics are attributed to the stronger surface band bending and improved electron-hole separation of the nanoscale NiO/ZnO interface. These findings demonstrate a superior structural design and a simple, low-cost CMOS-compatible process for the engineering of high-performance wearable photodetectors.

Engineering of highly performing nanomaterials, capable of rapid detection of trace concentrations of gas molecules at room temperature, is key to the development of the next generation of miniaturized chemical sensors. Here, a highly performing nanoheterojunctions layout is presented for the rapid room‐temperature chemical sensing of volatile organic compounds down to ten particles per billion concentrations. The layout consists of a 3D network of nickel oxide–zinc oxide (NiO–ZnO) p–n semiconductors with grain size of ≈20 nm nanometers and a porosity of ≈98%. Notably, it is observed that the formation of the p–n heterojunctions by decoration of a ZnO nanoparticle networks with NiO increases the sensor response by more than four times while improving the lower limit of detection. Under solar light irradiation, the optimal NiO–ZnO nanoheterojunction networks demonstrate a strong and selective room‐temperature response to two important volatile organic compounds utilized for breath analysis, namely acetone and ethanol. Furthermore, these NiO–ZnO nanoheterojunctions show an inverse response to acetone from that observed for all others reducing gas molecules (i.e., ethanol, propane, and ethylbenzene). It is believed that these novel insights of the optoelectrochemical properties of ultraporous nanoheterojunction networks provide guidelines for the future design of low‐power solid‐state chemical sensors.

Accurate detection of ultraviolet radiation is critical to many technologies including wearable devices for skin cancer prevention, optical communication systems, and missile launch detection. Here, a nanoscale architecture is presented for band‐selective UV‐photodetectors, which features unique tunability and miniaturization potential. The device layout relies on the 3D integration of ultraporous layers of tailored nanoparticles. By tailoring the transmittance window between the indirect band gap of TiO2 nanoparticles and the sharp edge of the direct band gap of ZnO, a band‐selective photoresponse is achieved with tunable bandwidth to less than 30 nm and photo‐ to dark‐current ratios of several millions at a light intensity of 86 μW cm−2 and operation bias of 1 V. The potential of this integrated morphology is shown by fabrication of the first inherent UVA photodetector with selectivity against the edge of the UVB and visible light of nearly 60 times. This tunable architecture and nanofabrication approach are compatible with state‐of‐the micromachining technologies and provide a flexible solution for the engineering of wearable band‐selective photodetectors.

Elastic stretchability and function density represent two key figures of merits for stretchable inorganic electronics. Various design strategies have been reported to provide both high levels of stretchability and function density, but the function densities are mostly below 80%. While the stacked device layout can overcome this limitation, the soft elastomers used in previous studies could highly restrict the deformation of stretchable interconnects. Here, we introduce stacked multilayer network materials as a general platform to incorporate individual components and stretchable interconnects, without posing any essential constraint to their deformations. Quantitative analyses show a substantial enhancement (e.g., by ~7.5 times) of elastic stretchability of serpentine interconnects as compared to that based on stacked soft elastomers. The proposed strategy allows demonstration of a miniaturized electronic system (11 mm by 10 mm), with a moderate elastic stretchability (~20%) and an unprecedented areal coverage (~110%), which can serve as compass display, somatosensory mouse, and physiological-signal monitor.

The lithium−sulfur (Li−S) system is a promising material for the nextgeneration of high energy density batteries with application extending from electrical vehicles to portable devices and aeronautics. Despite progress, the energy density of current Li−S technologies is still below that of conventional intercalation-type cathode materials due to limited stability and utilization efficiency at high sulfur loading. Here, we present a conducting polymer hydrogel integrated highly performing free-standing three-dimensional (3D) monolithic electrode architecture for Li−S batteries with superior electrochemical stability and energy density. The electrode layout consists of a highly conductive three-dimensional network of N,P codoped carbon with welldispersed metal−organic framework nanodomains of ZIF-67 and HKUST-1. The hierarchical monolithic 3D carbon networks provide an excellent environment for charge and electrolyte transport as well as mechanical and chemical stability. The electrically integrated MOF nanodomains significantly enhance the sulfur loading and retention capabilities by inhibiting the release of lithium polysulfide specificities as well as improving the charge transfer efficiency at the electrolyte interface. Our optimal 3D carbon-HKUST-1 electrode architecture achieves a very high areal capacity of >16 mAh cm −2 and volumetric capacity (C V ) of 1230.8 mAh cm −3 with capacity retention of 82% at 0.2C for over 300 cycles, providing an attractive candidate material for future high-energy density Li−S batteries.