Hybrid Bismuth Halide with Rich Polymorphism and Second Harmonic Generation Response

Hybrid structures have emerged as a promising class of optical materials, due to their ability to couple the robustness of inorganic and the tunability of organic compounds. However, their application in nonlinear optics (NLO) remains limited, largely due to underexplored factors that drive the formation of noncentrosymmetric structures and NLO property characterization. In this work, we explore the formation, structural and temperature polymorphism, and optical properties of the (Et3NH)3Bi2Br9 composition, which crystallizes as either noncentrosymmetric or centrosymmetric polymorph. Structural analysis showed that the alignment of [Bi2Br9]3– units dictates the symmetry of phases, as well as the nonlinear optical properties, with the triclinic polymorph exhibiting a second harmonic generation (SHG) response both in visible and IR regions (1.29 × KH2PO4 and 0.08 × AgGaS2). Thermal analysis reveals polymorphic phase transitions and low melting points, making them melt-processable and ionic liquid candidates.