Electrochromic devices
First Claim
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1. An electrochromic device comprising:
- a case, said case has a transparent face and a face opposite thereto which is capable of highlighting the display colors of the device during the write cycle;
a display electrode within said case and adjacent said transparent face, said display electrode comprises a transparent conductive electrode and a display polymer film attached thereto, said display polymer film comprises a linear tractable electroactive polymer, said polymer is capable of undergoing reversible oxidation, reversible reduction or both to form a linear charged, colored polymer incorporating charge-compensating ionic dopants, said polymer comprises diradical repeat units selected from the group consisting of a heterocyclic ring system including at least one Group 5B or Group 6B atom, wherein none of the ring carbon atoms are saturated, a heterocyclic ring system including at least one Group 5B or Group 6B atom wherein none of the ring carbon atoms are saturated and a connecting unit, and mixtures thereof, wherein said diradical repeat unit in the form of a monomeric repeat unit is capable of undergoing reversible oxidation, reversible reduction or both to form a stable ionic species and wherein said connecting unit is a conjugated system or atom or group of atoms which maintain π
-orbital overlap with the heterocyclic ring system;
a counter electrode adjacent to said light-colored face;
an electrolyte; and
means for applying a voltage and current to said display electrode and said counter electrode.
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Abstract
An electrochromic device which incorporates a reversibly color-changing organic polymer film as the display electrode. The display polymer film is capable of undergoing reversible oxidation and/or reduction to a charged, colored, conductive state. Upon reversing the charge, the polymer returns to its virgin color. The display films are comprised of linear fused heterocyclic ring systems, optionally with connecting units, or linear monocyclic ring systems and connecting units. The device requires low currents to operate and switch from the virgin state to the colored state. It also can optionally be operated to exhibit several colors.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An electrochromic device comprising:
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a case, said case has a transparent face and a face opposite thereto which is capable of highlighting the display colors of the device during the write cycle; a display electrode within said case and adjacent said transparent face, said display electrode comprises a transparent conductive electrode and a display polymer film attached thereto, said display polymer film comprises a linear tractable electroactive polymer, said polymer is capable of undergoing reversible oxidation, reversible reduction or both to form a linear charged, colored polymer incorporating charge-compensating ionic dopants, said polymer comprises diradical repeat units selected from the group consisting of a heterocyclic ring system including at least one Group 5B or Group 6B atom, wherein none of the ring carbon atoms are saturated, a heterocyclic ring system including at least one Group 5B or Group 6B atom wherein none of the ring carbon atoms are saturated and a connecting unit, and mixtures thereof, wherein said diradical repeat unit in the form of a monomeric repeat unit is capable of undergoing reversible oxidation, reversible reduction or both to form a stable ionic species and wherein said connecting unit is a conjugated system or atom or group of atoms which maintain π
-orbital overlap with the heterocyclic ring system;a counter electrode adjacent to said light-colored face; an electrolyte; and means for applying a voltage and current to said display electrode and said counter electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification