Structural diversity in hybrid organic-inorganic lead iodide materials

The structural chemistry of hybrid organic-inorganic lead iodide materials has become of increasing significance for energy applications since the discovery and development of perovskite solar cells based on methylammonium lead iodide. Seven new hybrid lead iodide compounds have been synthesized and structurally characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The lead iodide units in materials templated with bipyridyl, 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene and imidazole adopt one-dimensional chain structures, while crystallization from solutions containing piperazinium cations generates a salt containing isolated [PbI6](4-) octahedral anions. Templating with 4-chlorobenzyl-ammonium lead iodide adopts the well known two-dimensional layered perovskite structure with vertex shared sheets of composition [PbI4](2-) separated by double layers of organic cations. The relationships between the various structures determined, their compositions, stability and hydrogen bonding between the protonated amine and the iodide ions of the PbI6 octahedra are described.