ARCI–IIT Hyderabad innovation offers eco-friendly alternative for next-gen electronics

Photodetectors are critical components in cameras, environmental sensors, smart wearables, security systems and biomedical imaging devices, where they convert light into electrical signals.

In a significant breakthrough for sustainable electronics, researchers at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad, have developed a novel lead-free, eco-friendly photodetector that operates without external power while delivering high performance and long-term stability.

The innovation addresses a key limitation of existing high-performance photodetectors, many of which rely on lead-based perovskites that pose toxicity risks and suffer from poor durability under real-world environmental conditions.

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A Safer Alternative to Lead-Based Photodetectors

Photodetectors are critical components in cameras, environmental sensors, smart wearables, security systems and biomedical imaging devices, where they convert light into electrical signals. While lead-based perovskites have dominated advanced photodetector research, their environmental and health concerns have limited large-scale adoption.

To overcome this, the Indian research team developed a photodetector using the lead-free double perovskite material Cs₂AgBiBr₆, combining environmental safety with robust optoelectronic performance.

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Simple, Low-Cost and Room-Temperature Fabrication

Unlike conventional devices that require:

• expensive metal electrodes,

• additional hole-transport layers, and

• complex fabrication in gloveboxes or vacuum systems,

the new device is hole-transport-material (HTM) free, uses low-cost carbon electrodes, and is fabricated entirely at room temperature through a simple one-step coating process.

This streamlined approach significantly reduces manufacturing complexity and cost, improving scalability for commercial applications.

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Self-Powered Operation with Stable Performance

The device architecture naturally promotes efficient charge separation, enabling self-powered operation without any external voltage source.

Key performance highlights include:

• Strong and consistent response to visible light

• Clear ON–OFF switching behaviour

• More than 90% performance retention after 60 days of storage

Stability tests were conducted under ambient room conditions (25–35°C and 35–50% relative humidity). The near-overlap of photo-response curves before and after ageing confirms the device’s long-term environmental stability, a major advancement over existing perovskite-based photodetectors.

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Wide-Ranging Applications and Strategic Relevance

The combination of:

• lead-free material chemistry,

• ambient-condition fabrication,

• low-cost components, and

• long-term operational reliability

makes the technology highly promising for:

• consumer electronics,

• industrial and environmental monitoring,

• security and surveillance systems, and

• biomedical imaging and diagnostics.

Importantly, the development aligns closely with India’s national priorities on green manufacturing, sustainable materials, and self-reliance in next-generation electronic technologies.

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Backed by DST, Published in International Journal

The research was supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, and has been published in the international peer-reviewed journal Solar Energy (Elsevier) under the title:“Ambient-processed lead-free Cs₂AgBiBr₆ photodetector with long-term environmental stability and self-powered operation.”

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Validated Through Accelerated Stability Testing

The published study includes:

• a schematic of the eco-friendly photodetector, and

• results from accelerated stability tests, comparing the photo-response of freshly fabricated devices with those aged for 60 days.

These results validate the device’s reliability under practical operating environments.