Native Surface Oxides Featured Liquid Metals for Printable Self-Powered Photoelectrochemical Device

Constructing high-performance photo-electrodes by patterning the photo-active

semiconducting components with desirable texture and architecture is one of the most

promising approaches to achieve the practical and scale-up application of photo-electric

or photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices. However, it is a still big challenge to efficiently

and effectively handle nano-structural semiconducting materials into intergraded circuit

devices, displaying good electric-contact and stability. Here, a facile manufacture

strategy for fabricating native metal-oxides based photo-electrodes by directly printing

Ga-based liquid metals is explored. The PEC device, functionalized by the native

Ga-oxide functional layer, exhibits self-powered photo-detection behaviors and presents

fast photo-electric responsibility in response to the simulated Sunlight illumination.

This printable PEC device shows good potential for high sensitive self-powered

photo-detector and provides a flexible and versatile approach for the design and

fabrication of novel electrode structures.