Water-Stable Hybrid Lead-Free Perovskite for Negative Temperature Coefficient Thermistors

Negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistors feature higher sensitivities and faster response speeds and thereby have particular applications in many fields. However, current NTC thermistors are mostly based on inorganic ceramic materials, which show obvious drawbacks in material synthesis, property modulation, and flexible film fabrication. Herein, we report, for the first time, the promising application of an inorganic-organic hybrid NTC thermistor. A new lead-free hybrid iodo bismuthate [1,1',1″-(benzene-1,3,5-triyl)tris(3-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium)]Bi₂I₉ [denoted as (Me] was synthesized by a "double-free" strategy. (Me features a lead-free binuclear bismuth iodine anion charge compensated by a "classic hydrogen-bond-free" cation. (Me exhibits remarkable stability in water and UV light irradiation and shows the largest temperature sensitivity coefficient among all reported NTC materials. Theoretical calculation and detailed structural analysis disclose that the seriously distorted (BiI₆) octahedra are responsible for the intriguing NTC effect for (Me.