A Low Driving-Voltage Hybrid-Electrolyte Electrochromic Window with Only Ferreous Redox Couples

Abstract

Even after decades of development, the widespread application of electrochromic windows (ECW) is still seriously restricted by their high price and inadequate performance associated with structural/fabrication complexity and electrochemical instability. Herein, a simple hybrid electrochromic system based on PFSA (perfluorosulfonic acid)-coated Prussian blue (PB, Fe4III [FeII(CN)6]3) film and Ferricyanide–Ferrocyanide ([Fe(CN)6]4−/[Fe(CN)6]3−)-containing hybrid electrolyte is reported. The PB film and the [Fe(CN)6]4−/[Fe(CN)6]3− couple show near redox potentials well inside the electrochemical window of water, resulting in a low driven voltage (0.4 V for coloring and −0.6 V for bleaching) and a relatively long lifespan (300 cycles with 76.9% transmittance contrast retained). The PFSA layer, as a cation-exchange structure, significantly improves the transmittance modulation amplitude (ΔT: 23.3% vs. 71.9% at a wavelength of 633 nm) and optical memory abilities (ΔT retention: 10.1% vs. 67.0% after 300 s open-circuit rest increases) of the device, by means of preventing the direct contact and charge transfer between the PB film and the [Fe(CN)6]4−/[Fe(CN)6]3− couple. This “hybrid electrolyte + electron barrier layer” design provides an effective way for the construction of simple structured electrochromic devices.