A 3D lead chloride hybrid exhibits self-trapped emission and exceptional stability

The broadband emissions related to self-trapped excitons (STEs) have attracted considerable attention due to their potential wide application in optoelectronics. Yet, such materials require appropriate band gaps, which are significantly related to the structural geometry. Herein, a new 3D lead chloride hybrid, (H2MPP)2Pb5Cl14, where H₂MPP = 1-methylpiperidinium-4-amine, consisting of face, corner and edge-sharing lead chloride polyhedra, has been successfully isolated. Interestingly, in addition to its semiconducting properties, (H2MPP)2Pb5Cl14 exhibits broadband white-red light emission with a large Stokes shift, a high color rendering index, and a nanosecond lifetime, which is mainly attributed to the STE mechanism. Moreover, (H2MPP)2Pb5Cl14 exhibits higher stability under moisture, UV light and heat.