Dikicioglu, ElanurEfkere, Halil IbrahimYildiz, MustafaOrhan, Elif2026-02-032026-02-0320252045-2322https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-25597-xhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12428/34774A nanocomposite material comprising palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) doped with polyethyleneimine (PEI)-functionalized nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (PEI N-GQDs) was synthesized and employed as an interlayer in an Ag/PdNPs/PEI N-GQDs/p-Si heterojunction configuration. The PdNPs/PEI N-GQDs nanocomposite was prepared through an aqueous reaction between PEI-functionalized N-GQDs and Pd(NO2)2H2O and characterized using FTIR, UV-Vis, TEM, XPS, and PL spectroscopy. The PL spectrum exhibited a broad emission centered at 580 nm (2.14 eV) with a near-infrared tail, indicating defect-assisted recombination and confirming the semiconducting nature of the nanocomposite. The Ag/PdNPs/PEI N-GQDs/p-Si diode displayed a rectification ratio of approximately 1.64 x 102 at +/- 4 V, with barrier heights of 0.87, 0.76, and 0.68 eV obtained from thermionic-emission (TE), Cheung, and Norde methods, respectively. Energy band alignment analysis revealed that the rectifying behavior originates from the Ag/nanocomposite interface, forming a Schottky-type barrier, while a type-II staggered junction is established at the nanocomposite/p-Si interface, facilitating hole transport. These findings demonstrate the potential of PdNPs/PEI N-GQDs as an effective interlayer material for carbon-based nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessGraphene quantum dotsNitrogen dopingPalladium nanoparticlesNanocomposite diodeSurface functionalizationArticle15110.1038/s41598-025-25597-xQ1WOS:0016115216000252-s2.0-10502110626241203757Q1