(C7H18N2)PbI4: A 2D Hybrid Perovskite Solid-State Phase Transition Material with Semiconducting Properties

Two-dimensional organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) have gained attention as a result of their flexibility and adjustability of the structure. However, the large band gap of two-dimensional perovskites limits their application in the photoelectric field. In the present work, we report a two-dimensional organic–inorganic hybrid compound of (C7H18N2)PbI4 (1) with a narrow band gap, which consists of [PbI4]2–n layers and N-(2-aminoethyl)piperidinium cations. 1 exhibits semiconducting properties with a narrow optical band gap of ∼2.02 eV and a photoelectric response with a ratio of photocurrent to dark current of ∼100. In addition, it exhibits a reversible solid-state phase transition at 228 K. This finding should inspire research into more 2D layered OIHPs with the combination of phase transition and semiconductor properties.