Low-Dimensional Organic Metal Halide Hybrids with Excitation-Dependent Optical Waveguides from Visible to Near-Infrared Emission

Molecular luminescent materials with optical waveguide properties have wide application prospects in the fields of sensors, filters, and modulators. However, designing and synthesizing optical waveguide materials with unique morphology, high emissive efficiency, and tunable optical properties in the same solid-state system remains an open challenge. In this work, we report new types of morphological one-dimensional (1D) organic metal halide hybrid micro/nanotubes and micro/nanorods, which exhibit excitation-dependent optical waveguide properties from visible to near-infrared (NIR) regions with low-loss coefficient and high emissive efficiency during the propagation process. Strong intermolecular interactions within the hybrid systems could effectively reduce the nonradiative transition and improve quantum efficiency. Photophysical studies and theoretical calculations demonstrate that the color-tunable emission can be attributed to the coexistence of locally excited states and charge-transfer states. Utilizing excitation-dependent optical waveguide emission ranging from visible to NIR regions, we fabricate an optical wavelength converter to transfer short-wavelength into long-wavelength emission with multichannels. Furthermore, an optical logic gate system was designed based on the tunable emission properties of the 1D metal halide micro/nanotubes. Therefore, this work provides not only a facile process to synthesize 1D organic metal halide hybrids with excitation-dependent optical waveguide properties but also a new way to advance photofunctional logic computation at the micro/nanoscale.

Automated summary

This work presents a new type of one-dimensional organic metal halide hybrid micro/nanotubes and micro/nanorods with excitation-dependent optical waveguide properties from visible to near-infrared regions, showing low-loss coefficient and high emissive efficiency. Strong intermolecular interactions within the hybrid systems effectively reduce nonradiative transitions and improve quantum efficiency.