Multicolored, Low-Power, Flexible Electrochromic Devices Based on Ion Gels

Citations Over TimeTop 1% of 2016 papers

Abstract

Ion gels composed of a copolymer and a room temperature ionic liquid are versatile solid-state electrolytes with excellent features including high ionic conductivity, nonvolatility, easily tunable mechanical properties, good flexibility and solution processability. Ion gels can be functionalized by incorporating redox-active species such as electrochemiluminescent (ECL) luminophores or electrochromic (EC) dyes. Here, we enhance the functionality of EC gels for realizing multicolored EC devices (ECDs), either by controlling the chemical equilibrium between a monomer and dimer of a colored EC species, or by modifying the molecular structures of the EC species. All devices in this work are conveniently fabricated by a "cut-and-stick" strategy, and require very low power for maintaining the colored state [i.e., 90 μW/cm(2) (113 μA/cm(2) at -0.8 V) for blue, 4 μW/cm(2) (10 μA/cm(2) at -0.4 V) for green, and 32 μW/cm(2) (79 μA/cm(2) at -0.4 V) for red ECD]. We also successfully demonstrate a patterned, multicolored, flexible ECD on plastic. Overall, these results suggest that gel-based ECDs have significant potential as low power displays in printed electronics powered by thin-film batteries.

Related Papers

• → A simplified all-polymer flexible electrochromic device(2004)157 cited
• → Electrochromic properties as a function of electrolyte on the performance of electrochromic devices consisting of a single-layer polymer(2014)49 cited
• → Complementary all Solid State Electrochromic Devices Using Carboxymethyl Cellulose Based Electrolytes(2014)19 cited
• → Electroactive Polymers with Semi-IPN Architectures for Electrochromic Devices(2010)10 cited
• Advance in research on electrochromic materials and devices(2004)