Perovskite materials
have surged to the forefront of
materials
science, captivating researchers worldwide with their distinctive
crystal lattice arrangement and remarkable optical, electric and dielectric
attributes. The current study focuses on the development of a novel
zero-dimensional (0D) Ge(II)-based hybrid perovskite, formulated as
NH3(CH2)2NH3GeF6, and synthesized through a gradual evaporation process conducted
at room temperature. The crystal structure is characterized by an
arrangement of organic cations and isolated octahedral [GeF6]2– groups. This configuration is stabilized by
relatively weak intermolecular bonds. A comprehensive analysis of
the material’s thermal properties using differential scanning
calorimetry (DSC) revealed a distinct phase transition occurring at
approximately 323 K, which was further confirmed through electrical
measurements. The studied compound provided a broad absorption range
across the visible spectrum and an optical band gap of 3.30 eV, indicating
its potential for semiconducting applications in optoelectronic devices.
Photoluminescence PL analysis displays a blueish broad-band emission
with a high color rendering index CRI value of 91, when excited at
325 nm. This emission primarily originates from the self-trapped excitons
(STEs) recombination in the inorganic [GeF6]2−. Herein, the temperature-dependent behavior of grain conductivity
exhibited an Arrhenius-type pattern, with an activation energy (E
a) of 0.46 eV, confirming the semiconductor
nature of the investigated compound. In addition, a deep investigation
of the alternating current conductivity, analyzed using Jonscher’s
law, demonstrates that the conduction mechanism is effectively described
by the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model. The dielectric performances
show a significant dielectric constant (ε′ ∼ 103). Thus, all these interesting physical properties of this
hybrid perovskite have paved the way for advancements in various technological
applications, particularly in the field of electronic capacitors.