Bright Dual-Phase Organic Luminescence from Zero-Dimensional Lead Halide Hybrids via Sensitized Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence for Multifunctional Applications

Metal halide hybrids have long celebrated their halometallate moieties as the luminescent center, leaving organic cations behind. Although the thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) strategy has enabled efficient solid-state organic emitters, the complex molecular design required for TADF emitters has limited their facile integration into metal halide hybrid architectures. Here, we demonstrate a versatile strategy wherein a nonemissive organic moiety (benzyltributylammonium) is incorporated into a zero-dimensional disphenoidal Pb-halide hybrid, [(C19H34N)2PbCl4], resulting in efficient TADF-based dual-phase organic emission sensitized by halometallate units in the solid state (crystalline; amorphous). These materials exhibit strong PLQY (∼ 85%) and tunable organic luminescence (blue emission in crystalline phase; cyan emission in amorphous phase) modulated by the packing extent of organic moiety. [PbX4]2– units act as absorptive centers that sensitize organic cations showing TADF-based strong emission. Ground and excited state density functional theory calculations reveal the unique origin of sensitized TADF organic luminescence. Rheological measurements characterize relaxation dynamics of glass ↔ supercooled liquid transitions, establishing correlations between molecular packing, phase, and emission characteristics. This first demonstration of dual-phase, sensitized TADF-based organic luminescence in lead halide hybrids establishes a new design paradigm that bridges molecular and solid-state photophysics, opening avenues for multifunctional applications in LEDs, optical thermometry, and security technologies.