Real-Time Nanoparticle Dispersion Monitoring via CuO Nanowire Photodetectors: An Effective Approach for In Situ Nanomaterial Synthesis Control

Abstract

We herein demonstrate a high-performance photodetector based on copper oxide (CuO) nanowires fabricated via alkaline wet oxidation. The device exhibits notable optoelectronic properties, including a consistent photocurrent response over a range of light intensities, high responsivity (up to 23.69 A/W at 0.08 mW/cm²) and detectivity (up to 9.95 × 10¹¹ Jones at 0.08 mW/cm²) at low light intensities, and fast response times of approximately 17 ms. Our results reveal that this CuO nanowire photodetector can effectively monitor the dispersion state of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in real-time by measuring changes in photocurrent. The photodetector response correlated well with conventional UV–Vis spectroscopy measurements, confirming its capability to detect subtle changes in the MWCNT dispersion. This approach provides immediate feedback during the dispersion process, allowing for dynamic optimization of the nanomaterial synthesis. Our findings demonstrate the potential of CuO nanowire photodetectors for effective in situ quality control in nanomaterial production and open promising avenues for real-time monitoring in various fields, including environmental sensing and biomedical diagnostics.