Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2025

Author Spotlight: Experimental Approaches for the Synthesis of Low-Valent Metal-Organic Frameworks from Multitopic Phosphine Linkers
Published on: May 12, 2023
Regulating the coordination geometry of polyhedra in zero-dimensional metal halides for tunable emission
Zhipeng Zhang1, Jin-Feng Liao1, Guichuan Xing1
1Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, University of Macau, Macau, 999078 P. R. China. gcxing@um.edu.mo.
Abstract:
Although self-trapped exciton (STE) emissions in zero-dimensional metal halides have been intensively investigated, the understanding of the relationship between the coordination geometries of the metal halides and their photophysical properties is still lacking. In this work, we successfully synthesized single crystals, with strong STE emissions, of the bimetallic materials (Bmpip)9[Pb3Br11](ZnBr4)2 (PbZn-Br) and (Bmpip)9[Pb3Br11](MnBr4)2 (PbMn-Br), where Bmpip+ is 1-butyl-1-methyl-piperidinium (C10H22N+), via a facile anti-solvent crystallization strategy. With respect to the monometallic material, (Bmpip)2[PbBr4] (Pb-Br), the introduction of Zn2+ and Mn2+ effectively alters the coordination geometry of the lead bromide polyhedral configuration from a PbBr42- tetrahedron to a Pb3Br115- trimer. As a result, the maximum emission peak of PbZn-Br exhibits an obvious red shift and the full width at half maximum is almost two-fold wider than that of Pb-Br due to stronger electron-phonon coupling. Moreover, due to the intrinsic emission of the Mn2+ ions, an intriguing tunable emission was achieved in PbMn-Br with an impressively high photoluminescence quantum yield of up to 67%. The ultra-stable PbMn-Br single crystals show potential as an ideal down-conversion phosphor for use in UV-pumped white light-emitting diode devices.
More Related Videos
10:52Line Shape Analysis of Dynamic NMR Spectra for Characterizing Coordination Sphere Rearrangements at a Chiral Rhenium Polyhydride Complex
Published on: July 27, 2022
12:30Synthesis of a Thiol Building Block for the Crystallization of a Semiconducting Gyroidal Metal-sulfur Framework
Published on: April 9, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Coordination Number and Geometry
Valence Bond Theory
Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...