Organic Nanocrystals as Optical Sensors

Organic nanocrystals have attracted tremendous interest as channel semiconducting materials that can improve performance and strain durability of optical sensors, which are the essential component in many emerging applications, such as health monitoring, image sensors, and biomedical measurements. However, despite many proof-of-concept demonstrations, the full potential of organic nanocrystal-based optical sensors has yet to be determined. Here we systematically analyze the fundamental working principles of organic nanocrystal-based optical sensors and introduce their figure-of-merit parameters. Further the recent advancements in organic nanocrystal-based photoconductors, photodiodes, and phototransistors are reviewed and their performance compared. Finally, we propose meeting the challenges of obtaining high-speed and high-sensitivity optical sensors based on organic nanocrystals; we also summarize the key technological obstacles in achieving high-resolution imaging by using organic nanocrystals.