Electrosprayed carbon-based black coatings for pyroelectric detectors

•An approach of electrospray was proposed to fabricate carbon black (CB), multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and graphite black coatings for pyroelectric detectors.•The electrosprayed CB coating exhibits most outstanding infrared absorptivity among the three coatings.•The absorptivity of the electrosprayed CB coating is >94% within the wavelength range of 2.5–25 μm and the voltage response of the detector is enhanced remarkably by using the CB coatings.•The electrospray is a promising approach to fabricate black coatings and the electrosprayed CB is a good candidate for infrared absorption coating of pyroelectric detector.

An approach of electrospray was proposed to fabricate carbon black (CB), multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and graphite black coatings for pyroelectric detectors. The deposition process of black coatings was described and the parameters of electrospray were optimized. The microstructure of the coatings and the voltage response and increase factor of pyroelectric detectors with black coatings were investigated. The CB coating exhibits most outstanding infrared absorptivity among the three coatings and the voltage response of the detector is enhanced remarkably by using the CB coating. Infrared spectral absorptance of the electrosprayed CB coating was measured and the absorptivity of the CB coating is >94% within the wavelength range of 2.5–25 μm, which is beneficial to the performance improvement of the pyroelectric detector. The relative spectral responsivity and the response linearity of the CB-coated pyroelectric detector were investigated.