Synthesis, crystal structure and white luminescence of zero-dimensional organic-inorganic zinc halides

Organic-inorganic hybrid lead halides have recently attracted special attention due to their excellent photophysical properties, which drive a variety of optoelectronic applications. However, the toxicity of lead limits their extensive applications. Here, we synthesize three new lead-free organic-inorganic zinc halides, phenylethylammonium zinc bromide, 4-methylphenethylammonium zinc bromide, and 4-methoxyphenethylammonium zinc bromide. X-ray crystallography confirms the zero-dimensional structure of these compounds and their components organic cations and inorganic tetrahedral ZnBr42- anions. These compounds were further characterized by IR and Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. All the compounds exhibit white photoluminescence with CIE chromaticity coordinates of (0.25, 0.30), (0.29, 0.36), and (0.28, 0.36), and correlated color temperatures of 12 185, 7421, and 8184 K for 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Our findings demonstrate a low-cost and environmentally friendly material platform for photoelectric applications.