Intense white-light emission of amorphous lead chloride trimers at high pressure

Developing efficient, single-phase white-light phosphors remains a formidable challenge in optoelectronics. Herein, high pressure initially induces trimeric contraction and distortion in (C₉NH₂₀)₉(ZnCl₄)₂[Pb₃Cl₁₁], regulating the transition equilibrium of self-trapped excitons (STEs) with varied emission colors. Then, considerable structural distortion and destruction lead to intense white-light emission of an amorphous phase. A narrowed bandgap with promoted excitation efficiency, as well as strengthened electron-phonon coupling effect with increased binding energy of STEs, together result in the significant emission enhancement. This work provides valuable insights into white-light luminescent materials and offers new strategies for designing white-light-emitting devices.