Low-dimensional bismuth(III) iodide hybrid material with high activity for the fast removal of rhodamine B.

Organic-inorganic hybrid lead-based perovskite crystal materials have been widely studied due to their excellent optical-electronic properties. However, the toxicity of lead limits their widespread use. Here, a lead-free perovskite-type compound, tetrakis(1,2,3-trimethylimidazolium) di-μ3 -iodido-tetra-μ2 -iodido-decaiodidotetrabismuth(III), (C6 H11 N2 )4 [Bi4 I16 ], has been successfully synthesized by a simple solvothermal method. It exhibits a zero-dimensional (0D) tetrameric structure, including edge-sharing [Bi4 I16 ]4- distorted octahedra. The band gap of 2.0 eV is close to that of (NH4 )3 [Bi2 I9 ]. Degradation ability measurements were performed to examine the potential application of this material as an alternative for waste-water treatment.