An infrared photothermoelectric detector enabled by MXene and PEDOT:PSS composite for noncontact fingertip tracking

Abstract

Photothermoelectric (PTE) detectors functioning on the infrared spectrum show much potential for use in many fields, such as energy harvesting, nondestructive monitoring, and imaging fields. Recent advances in low-dimensional and semiconductor materials research have facilitated new opportunities for PTE detectors to be applied in material and structural design. However, these materials applied in PTE detectors face some challenges, such as unstable properties, high infrared reflection, and miniaturization issues. Herein, we report our fabrication of scalable bias-free PTE detectors based on Ti3C2 and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) composites and characterization of their composite morphology and broadband photoresponse. We also discuss various PTE engineering strategies, including substrate choices, electrode types, deposition methods, and vacuum conditions. Furthermore, we simulate metamaterials using different materials and hole sizes and fabricated a gold metamaterial with a bottom-up configuration by simultaneously combining MXene and polymer, which achieved an infrared photoresponse enhancement. Finally, we demonstrate a fingertip gesture response using the metamaterial-integrated PTE detector. This research proposes numerous implications of MXene and its related composites for wearable devices and Internet of Things (IoT) applications, such as the continuous biomedical tracking of human health conditions.

Flexible Ag2Se Thermoelectric Films Enable the Multifunctional Thermal Perception in Electronic Skins

“…21 Furthermore, Wang et al developed a multifunctional thermoelectric sensor based on MXene and PEDOT:PSS, showcasing the ability of thermoelectric sensing in transmitting information without physical contact. 22 However, the use of thermoelectric materials with a high electrical output, biocompatibility, and flexibility has not yet been implemented in this field, 23,24 which is critical for advancing this field. Ag 2 Se has emerged as a promising thermoelectric material for E-skin applications due to its high performance at room temperature and good biocompatibility.…”

“…Thermoelectric (TE) materials are promising candidates for constructing E-skins with thermal sensors due to their ability to convert heat into electrical signals through the Seebeck effect. − Very recently, Chen et al reported a flexible self-powered temperature–pressure dual functional E-skin that can detect and differentiate pressure and temperature signals by utilizing the triboelectric and thermoelectric effects . Furthermore, Wang et al developed a multifunctional thermoelectric sensor based on MXene and PEDOT:PSS, showcasing the ability of thermoelectric sensing in transmitting information without physical contact . However, the use of thermoelectric materials with a high electrical output, biocompatibility, and flexibility has not yet been implemented in this field, , which is critical for advancing this field.…”

Touchless Thermosensation Enabled by Flexible Infrared Photothermoelectric Detector for Temperature Prewarning Function of Electronic Skin

“…[18] However, SrTiO 3 crystals are inherently brittle and thus cannot satisfy the flexibility and conformality requirements for wearable e-skin applications. The introduction of low-dimensional materials, represented by graphene, [19][20][21] carbon nanotube (CNT), [22][23][24][25] black phosphorus [26][27] and its alloy, [28] along with other functional materials [29][30][31][32][33] opens up new opportunities for PTE detection, and potentially offers innovative solutions for flexible PTE detectors. Among these, the ionic-liquid-gated CNT p-n junction exhibits a relatively decent response to infrared thermal radiation emitted by the human body and demonstrates its utility in the flexible and wearable infrared detection device, [22] but the incompatibility issue between the ionic liquid gating and standard microfabrication processes hampers the implementation of largescale integration of sensor array.…”

Terahertz communication: Detection and signal processing

“…Several lowdimensional carbon-based materials, including CNTs [9][10][11][12][13], which exhibit as one-dimensional nanomaterials, and GRs [14][15][16][17] which represents as two-dimensional nanomaterials, have been widely applied in THz detection. In addition, other nanomaterials such as TMDC [18], BP [19], and MXenes [20,21] have attracted considerable attention. GR offers unique optoelectronic characteristics, including exceptional electrical conductivity and excellent RF absorption with a near-zero band gap in few-layer dimensions.…”