Color-stabilized electrochromic devices

• US 6,310,714 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Guarr, Thomas F., Lomprey, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, TIMOTHY J
• Application Number:
  US09/652,983
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 359/265, 359/272, 359/273, 359/275, 359/321, 359/322, 252/583, 544/347, 546/257
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 9/02 Organic tenebrescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1503 caused by oxidation-reduction reactions in organic liquid solutions, e.g. viologen solutions
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1525 characterised by a particular ion transporting layer, e.g. electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1502 complementary cell
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/15145 the electrochromic layer comprises a mixture of anodic and cathodic compounds

Abstract

An electrochromic medium for use in a normally operating electrochromic device comprising an anodic material and a cathodic material wherein both of the anodic and cathodic materials are electroactive and at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is electrochromic, an additive, and means associated with the additive for maintaining a colorless or nearly colorless electrochromic medium while the electrochromic medium is in a high transmission state relative to an electrochromic medium without the additive.

Claims

1. An electrochromic medium for use in a normally operating electrochromic device, comprising:

(a) an anodic material and a cathodic material, wherein both of the anodic and cathodic materials are electroactive and at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is electrochromic; and

(b) a color-stabilizing additive, wherein the color-stabilizing additive is more easily reduced than the cathodic material, and wherein the color-stabilizing additive is not strongly colored.

2. The electrochromic medium according to claim 1, wherein the color-stabilizing additive comprises an oxidized form of the anodic material.

3. The electrochromic medium according to claim 1, wherein the color-stabilizing additive comprises an additional material present in an oxidized form.

4. The electrochromic medium according to claim 1, wherein the color-stabilizing additive is selected from the group comprising ferrocinium salts, substituted ferrocinium salts, phenazinium salts, substituted phenazinium salts, and mixtures thereof.

5. The electrochromic medium according to claim 4, wherein the color-stabilizing additive is selected from the group comprising di-tert-butyl-diethylferrocinium tetrafluoroborate, (6-(tetra-tert-butylferrocinium)hexyl)triethylammonium di-tetrafluoroborate, (3-(tetra-tert-butylferrocinium)propyl)triethylammonium di-tetrafluoroborate, 5-methyl-phenazinium tetrafluoroborate, and mixtures thereof.

6. The electrochromic medium according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the additive ranges from approximately 0.01 mM to approximately 10 mM.

7. The electrochromic medium according to claim 1, wherein the cathodic material comprises a viologen.

8. The electrochromic medium according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the cathodic material ranges from approximately 1 mM to approximately 500 mM.

9. The electrochromic medium according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the cathodic material ranges from approximately 5 mM to approximately 50 mM.

10. The electrochromic medium according to claim 1, wherein the cathodic material comprises tungsten oxide.

11. The electrochromic medium according to claim 1, wherein the anodic material is selected from the group comprising ferrocene, substituted ferrocenes, substituted ferrocenyl salts, phenazine, substituted phenazines, phenothiazine, substituted phenothiazines, and mixtures thereof.

12. The electrochromic medium according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the anodic material ranges from approximately 1 mM to approximately 500 mM.

13. The electrochromic medium according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the anodic material ranges from approximately 5 mM to approximately 50 mM.

25. An electrochromic device comprising:

at least one substantially transparent substrate; and

an electrochromic medium according to claims 1 or 14 associated with the at least one substantially transparent substrate.

26. The electrochromic device according to claim 25, comprising a first substantially transparent substrate and a second substrate.

27. The electrochromic device according to claim 26, wherein the device is an electrochromic window.

28. The electrochromic device according to claim 26, wherein the second substrate is plated with a reflective material.

29. The electrochromic device according to claim 28, wherein the reflective material is selected from the group comprising chromium, rhodium, silver, alloys of the same, and mixtures thereof.

30. The electrochromic device according to claim 29, wherein the device is an electrochromic mirror.

14. An electrochromic medium for use in a normally operating electrochromic device, comprising:

(a) an anodic material and a cathodic material, wherein both of the anodic and cathodic materials are electroactive and at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is electrochromic; and

(b) a color-stabilizing additive, wherein the color-stabilizing additive is more easily oxidized than the anodic material, and wherein the color-stabilizing additive is not strongly colored.

15. The electrochromic medium according to claim 14, wherein the color-stabilizing additive is selected from the group comprising substituted ferrocenes, substituted ferrocenyl salts, and mixtures thereof.

16. The electrochromic medium according to claim 15, wherein the color-stabilizing additive is selected from the group comprising (6-(tetra-tert-butylferrocenyl)hexyl) triethylammonium tetrafluoroborate, (3-(tetra-tert-butylferrocenyl)propyl) triethylammonium tetrafluoroborate, di-tert-butyl-diethylferrocene and mixtures thereof.

17. The electrochromic medium according to claim 14, wherein the concentration of the additive ranges from approximately 0.01 mM to approximately 10 mM.

18. The electrochromic medium according to claim 14, wherein the cathodic material comprises a viologen.

19. The electrochromic medium according to claim 14, wherein the concentration of the cathodic material ranges from approximately 1 mM to approximately 500 mM.

20. The electrochromic medium according to claim 14, wherein the concentration of the cathodic material ranges from approximately 5 mM to approximately 50 mM.

21. The electrochromic medium according to claim 14, wherein the cathodic material comprises tungsten oxide.

22. The electrochromic medium according to claim 14, wherein the anodic material is selected from the group comprising ferrocene, substituted ferrocenes, substituted ferrocenyl salts, phenazine, substituted phenazines, phenothiazine, substituted phenothiazines, and mixtures thereof.

23. The electrochromic medium according to claim 14, wherein the concentration of the anodic material ranges from approximately 1 mM to approximately 500 mM.

24. The electrochromic medium according to claim 14, wherein the concentration of the anodic material ranges from approximately 5 mM to approximately 50 mM.