Bottom‐Up Photosynthesis of an Air‐Stable Radical Semiconductor Showing Photoconductivity to Full Solar Spectrum and X‐Ray

Abstract

Single‐component semiconductors with photoresponse to full solar spectrum are highly desirable to simplify the device structure of commercial photodetectors and to improve solar conversion or photocatalytic efficiency but remain scarce. This work reports bottom‐up photosynthesis of an air‐stable radical semiconductor using BiI3 and a photochromism‐active benzidine derivative as a photosensitive functional motif. This semiconductor shows photoconductivity to full solar spectrum contributed by radical and non‐radical forms of the benzidine derivative. It has also the potential to detect X‐rays because of strong X‐ray absorption coefficient. This finding opens up a new synthetic method for radical semiconductors and may find applications on extending photoresponsive ranges of perovskites, transition metal sulfides, and other materials.

Photochromism and Photomagnetism in Two Ni(II) Complexes Based on a Photoactive 2,4,6-Tris-2-Pyridyl-1,3,5-Triazine Ligand

“…Photochromic smart molecules, as one of the famous multifunctional materials, have been widely used in optical switch, information storage, sensor, and other fields. − They can show color changes under light irradiation with reversible changes in physicochemical properties (such as luminescence, − magnetism, − , and conductivity − ). So far, the metal–organic hybrid photochromic family has increased the possibilities for integrating the merits of inorganic and organic units at the molecular scale, providing a platform for researchers to design and create novel photochromic materials with diverse photoresponsive functionalities. − Especially, electron-transfer (ET) photochromic complexes containing viologen ligands and their derivatives have attracted extensive attention. − However, works on this photochromic system constructed by new photoactive ligands are still challenging due to the difficulty of synthesis and serendipity of photochromism.…”