Tunable Afterglow and Self‐Trapped Exciton Emissions in Zr (IV)‐Based Organic–Inorganic Metal Halide Hybrids by Metal‐Ion Doping

Low-dimensional hybrid metal halide (LDHMH) materials have attracted considerable attention owing to their intriguing optical properties. To the best of the knowledge, this is the first study to successfully demonstrate both self-trap exciton (STE) and afterglow emissions in Zr-based LDHMH materials. The obtained pure (Ph₃ S)₂ ZrCl₆ crystals showed near-ultraviolet phosphorescence and a green afterglow owing to the organic cation Ph₃ S⁺ , while the Bi-doped and Sb-doped crystals exhibited both STE and afterglow emissions. However, the Te-doped crystals showed only a broad yellow STE emission owing to the [TeCl₆ ]^2- octahedron. In addition, all the crystals showed good stability. Notably, Sb-doped crystals produced white light, which can be adjusted between cold white and warm white using different excitations. Finally, this strategy for both STE and afterglow emissions can be applied to other LDHMH materials for optical applications.