Suppressing the atmosphere-induced performance instability of solution-grown zinc oxide-nanowire ultra-violet photodetector by hydrothermal treatment in water

► The performance of solution-grown ZnO-nanowire photodetectors was improved by compensating the oxygen vacancies. ► Oxygen vacancies near surface of ZnO were compensated through hydrothermal treatment in pure water. ► The rationale can be widely used for compensating oxygen vacancies of nanostructures with complex morphology at low temperature.