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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 October 2022) | Viewed by 8583

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Prof. Dr. Hongliang Zhang

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Guest Editor

Ningbo Insititute of Industrial Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
Interests: electrochromic devices; advanced nanomaterials and devices

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Electrochromism is the phenomenon of certain materials reversibly changing their colors or optical properties (absorbance/transmittance/reflectance) via redox reactions under an applied electric field, which has found applications in smart windows, rear-view mirrors, displays, and so on. The past four decades have witnessed the rapid development of electrochromic technology. However, it remains severely developmentally challenged due to its limited practical applications. Predictably, as a color control technology that gives visual information readable by the naked eye, electrochromism should have much wider applications by applying the visualization technique to various functional devices. The integration modes, design principles, and performance optimization for different types of interdisciplinary electrochromic devices can result in state-of-the-art advances in the fusing of electrochromic technology with other advanced technologies, including wearable technology, thermal control technology, energy storage technology, energy harvesting technology, and sensing technology. This Special Issue covers these topics and focuses on the technology–material–multi-functionalization relationships of electrochromic devices.

Prof. Dr. Hongliang Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

electrochromism
electrochromic devices
surface/interface chemistry and physics
pseudocapacitance
functional materials and nanodevices

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1853 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Formamidinium Lead Iodide Perovskite Thin Films Formed by Two-Step Sequential Method: Solvent–Morphology Relationship

by Věra Cimrová, Mariem Guesmi, Sangwon Eom, Youngjong Kang and Drahomír Výprachtický

Materials 2023, 16(3), 1049; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma16031049 - 25 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2412

Abstract

Thin films made of formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI₃) perovskites prepared by a two-step sequential deposition method using various solvents for formamidinium iodide (FAI) - isopropanol, n-butanol and tert-butanol, were studied with the aim of finding a correlation between morphology and solvent properties to improve film quality. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their photophysical properties were studied by means of absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. XRD patterns, absorption and PL spectra proved α-phase formation for all selected solvents. An excessive amount of PbI₂ found in perovskite films prepared with n-butanol indicates incomplete conversion. Thin film morphology, such as grain and crystallite size, depended on the solvent. Using tert-butanol, thin films with a very large grain size of up to several micrometers and with preferred crystallite orientation were fabricated. The grain size increased as follows: 0.2–0.5, 0.2–1 and 2–5 µm for isopropanol, n-butanol and tert-butanol, respectively. A correlation between the grain size and viscosity, electric permittivity and polarizability of the solvent could be considered. Our results, including fabrication of perovskite films with large grains and fewer grain boundaries, are important and of interest for many optoelectronic applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Materials and Nanodevices)

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15 pages, 11387 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Intermolecular Interaction on Aggregation-Induced Emission Phenomenon and OLED Performance

by Patrycja Filipek, Krzysztof Karoń, Hubert Hellwig, Agata Szłapa-Kula and Michał Filapek

Materials 2022, 15(23), 8525; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15238525 - 30 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1208

Abstract

In this work, the role of intermolecular interaction on the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomenon and organic light-emitting diodes’ (OLEDs) performance was investigated. During the research, a group of compounds consisting of the (-CH=C(CN)(COOR)) moiety with identical energy parameters was designed using the DFT approach and successfully synthesized. The optical, electrochemical, and aggregation-induced emission properties were studied. The aggregation-induced emission of compounds has been studied in the mixture of MeCN (as a good solvent) and water (as a poor solvent) with different water fractions ranging from 0% to 99%. Moreover, the time dependence on the AIE feature was also evaluated. Thanks to their molecular structures, almost identical behavior of these substances in dilute solutions was observed. For molecules that exhibit the strong AIE phenomenon, emission efficiency increases rapidly during aggregation. What is also very interesting is it has been shown that by introducing an appropriate substituent, one can control the degree of intermolecular interactions and “control” the length of the emitted wave. Finally, OLEDs were fabricated by the spin-coating/evaporation hybrid method. Devices showed green–blueish electroluminescence (CIE coordinates: 0.107, 0.165) with maximum luminance reaching 25 cd m⁻² and EQE reaching 2%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Materials and Nanodevices)

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12 pages, 3396 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Two-Dimensional V₂O₅ Inverse Opal: Fabrication and Electrochromic Application

by Hua Li, Zijuan Tang, Yuwei Liu, Jacques Robichaud, Jian Liang, Weihui Jiang and Yahia Djaoued

Materials 2022, 15(8), 2904; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15082904 - 15 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1895

Abstract

The open-layered structure of Vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) has triggered significant interest in exploring its energy-related application as lithium (Li) intercalation cathode material. Various methods are extensively studied to improve the Li diffusion using thin films or nanoarchitecture. In this work, high-quality two-dimensional (2D) inverse opal α-V₂O₅ films were synthesized via a modified ‘dynamic hard template’ infiltration strategy using sacrificial polystyrene spheres (PS, a diameter of 530 nm) photonic crystal as a template. The new material exhibited an excellent porous array with featured structural colors in a large area. The electrochromic behavior was explored by combining bandgap and electrochemical characterization. On the one hand, the intercalation/deintercalation of Li⁺ played an important role in the bandgap (Eg), and thereafter on the visible range transmittance through changing the film’s stoichiometry and the valence of vanadium ions. On the other hand, the asymmetry of the lattice due to the disordered distribution of Li⁺ within the V₂O₅ interlayer and/or the formation of an irreversible phase explained the change in transmittance with voltage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Materials and Nanodevices)

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8 pages, 1763 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

A Self-Bleaching Electrochromic Mirror Based on Metal Organic Frameworks

by Kun Wang, Kai Tao, Ran Jiang, Hongliang Zhang, Lingyan Liang, Junhua Gao and Hongtao Cao

Materials 2021, 14(11), 2771; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14112771 - 24 May 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2408

Abstract

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered to be the most promising positive anode materials to store charge for electrochromic devices. Nevertheless, a detailed mechanism of the electrochemical and ions storage process has not yet been revealed. Herein, the electrochemical mechanism of the highly porous ZIF-67 films and the electrochromic performance of electrochromic mirrors constructed from ZIF-67 and WO₃ electrodes were investigated. The mechanism of the charge storage was revealed in the kinetic analysis of the Li-ion behavior based on the cyclic voltammetry curves and electrochemical impedance spectra. Impressively, the electrochromic mirrors with the self-bleaching effect and self-discharge behavior showed a unique electrochromic performance, such as a high coloration efficiency of 16.47 cm² C⁻¹ and a maximum reflectance modulation of 30.10% at 650 nm. This work provides a fundamental understanding of MOFs for applications in electrochromic devices and can also promote the exploration of novel electrode materials for high-performance reflective electrochromic devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Functional Materials and Nanodevices)

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