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A self-powered UV sensor with high responsivity was developed by coupling ZnO based piezoelectric nanogenerator and photodetector for uninterrupted real-time monitoring of UV radiation. Unlike conventional UV photodetectors, our approach couples a ZnO based metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector as a variable load resistor with a flexible ZnO:PVDF piezoelectric nanogenerator through impedance matching to realize self-powering of photodetector. The as fabricated UV photodetector exhibits a dark resistance of approximately 55 MΩ and change of resistance from 12 to 2 MΩ in response to UV illumination ranging from 1.5 to 14.5 mW/cm2. Under UV exposure of 1.5 mW/cm2, the output voltage of self-powered UV sensor drops from ∼14.6 V (dark) to ∼3.88 V. With increasing UV intensity from 1.5 to 14.5 mW/cm2, the output voltage gradually decreases from ∼3.88 to ∼1.04 V due to reduced ZnO photodetector resistance. This self-powered UV sensor exhibits excellent performance with a sensitivity of ∼93%, a voltage responsivity of 7.14 V (mW−1 cm−2), a response time of 0.67 s, and a recovery time of 4 s, which are better than the previous reports. The environmentally stable and biocompatible nature of ZnO based system makes it a promising candidate for self-powered real time ultraviolet remote sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maxwell–Wagner relaxation dominated Al2O3/TiO2 nanolaminates (ATA NLs) have recently demonstrated their potential for high-density energy storage applications. In this report, we have unraveled the defect-mediated transport mechanisms prevailing in Al2O3/TiO2 sub-nanometric laminates. Temperature-dependent ac conductivity measurements revealed the signature of small polaron hopping in TiO2 active layers and trap-assisted tunneling transport through Al2O3 barrier layers, which was corroborated by resonant photoelectron spectroscopy and temperature-dependent current–voltage measurement. The polaronic defect states, found ∼1 eV below the Fermi level, served as the hopping centers and leakage paths for current. The signature of quantum tunneling transport and the negative differential conductance observed toward higher electric field was attributed to the splitting of delocalized minibands. These transport properties of Al2O3/TiO2 nanolaminates will help in tailoring these materials for next-generation storage capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]