Room-temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials play
a crucial
role in optical anticounterfeiting science and information security
technologies. Ionically bonded organic metal halides have emerged
as promising RTP material systems due to their excellent self-assembly
and unique photophysical property, but their intrinsic instability
largely hinders their advanced practical applications. Herein, we
employ a coordination-driven synthetic strategy utilizing organocarboxylates
for the synthesis of two isostructural layered lead halide frameworks.
The frameworks adopt a new mixed-layered topology, consisting of alternating
[Pb10X9]11+ (X = Cl–/Br–) layers and [Pb6XO3]11+ (X = Cl–/Br–) layers
that are coordinatively sandwiched by organocarboxylate layers. The
frameworks exhibit long-lived green afterglow emission with the long
lifetime of up to 45.89 ms and the photoluminescence quantum yield
(PLQY) of up to 43.13%. The Pb2+-carboxylate coordination
accelerates the metal-to-ligand charge transfer from the light-harvesting
lead halide layers to the phosphorescent organic component, promoting
efficient spin–orbit coupling and intersystem crossing. Moreover,
the coordination networks exhibit good structural robustness under
ambient conditions for at least 12 months, as well as stability in
boiling water, acidic and basic aqueous environments. The highly efficient
afterglow and high structural integrity enable multiple anticounterfeiting
applications across diverse chemical environments.