Recent progress of zero-dimensional luminescent metal halides.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid-State Chemistry
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Zero-dimensional (0D) metal halides are advanced luminescent materials with distinct isolated structural units.
• Their unique crystallographic and electronic structures lead to fascinating optical characteristics.
• Despite their promise, challenges remain in molecular design, understanding photoluminescence (PL) mechanisms, and application development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review 0D metal halides, classifying them into all-inorganic and organic-inorganic hybrid types.
• To highlight the crucial role of B-site cations with varied electronic configurations in the PL process.
• To examine PL mechanisms, particularly the self-trapped excitons (STEs) model, and explore PL regulation engineering.

Main Methods:

• Classification of 0D metal halides based on composition (all-inorganic vs. organic-inorganic).
• Analysis of the influence of B-site cation electronic configurations on PL properties.
• Examination of the self-trapped excitons (STEs) model and PL regulation strategies.

Main Results:

• Detailed summary of 0D metal halides, emphasizing structure-property relationships.
• Identification of B-site cations as key modulators of luminescence.
• Exploration of STE mechanisms and engineering approaches for enhanced PL.

Conclusions:

• 0D metal halides exhibit extraordinary PL properties driven by their unique structures and electronic configurations.
• Understanding the structure-luminescence-application nexus is vital for advancing these materials.
• This review provides insights for developing next-generation high-performance luminescent materials.