Electrochromic devices and polymer compositions

• US 9,011,727 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BASF SE
• Original Assignee: BASF SE
• Inventors: Cliff, Nancy, Yale, David, Rodovsky, Deanna, Jankauskas, Jennifer
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRESO, AARON J
• Application Number:
  US12/384,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20100090169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,205 Days
• Field of Search: 252/500, 252/510, 252/511, 252/518.1, 252/583, 252/584, 252/586
• US Class Current: 252/500
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2261/1424 containing ether groups, including alkoxy
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2261/3221 containing one or more nitrogen atoms as the only heteroatom, e.g. pyrrole, pyridine or triazole
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 65/00 Compositions of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a carbon-to-carbon link in the main chain C08L7/00 - C08L57/00, C08L61/00 take precedence; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1466 containing nitrogen as the only heteroatom
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 9/02 Organic tenebrescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/15165 Polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1533 structural features not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/022 polymeric

Abstract

Blending an electrically active, anodically coloring, electrochromic polymer with a non-electrochromic, non-electrically conductive binder polymer greatly enhances the performance of the anodically coloring, electrochromic polymer in an electrochromic device over time. In addition to improved physical characteristics of the blend, e.g., film build, durability etc, the coloristic properties, including color space and color strength, of the device comprising the blend are more durable than when using the neat polymer, and in certain instances, the color space and color intensity provided by the blend is superior to that available from the neat polymer.

Claims

1. An electrochromic device comprising, as an electroactive color changing component, an anodically coloring electrochromic composition, which composition comprises an electrically active, anodically coloring polymer blended with a non-electrically conductive binder polymer in a single layer;

wherein the anodically coloring polymer is a polypyrrole polymer comprising as a repeating unit a moiety with the formula

2. An electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the anodically coloring polymer is selected from anodically coloring polymers and co-polymers having a band gap >

3 eV in the neutral state and oxidation potential <

0.5 vs. a saturated calomel electrode.

3. An electrochromic device according to claim 1 wherein the binder polymer is obtained and blended with the anodically coloring polymer as an aqueous solution, latex or dispersion.

4. An electrochromic device according to claim 1 wherein the non-electrically conductive binder polymer is also non-ionically conductive.

5. An electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the binder polymer is selected from crosslinked acrylate, acrylamide, and polyvinyl alcohol polymers.

6. An electrochromic device according to claim 1, which also comprises a cathodically coloring component.

7. An electrochromic device according to claim 6, wherein the cathodically coloring component comprises an electroactive, cathodically coloring polymer.

8. An electrochromic device according to claim 7, wherein the cathodically coloring component comprises a polythiophene, alkyl substituted polythiophene alkoxy or dialkoxy substituted thiophene polymer.

14. The electrochromic device according to claim 1, wherein the binder is hydroxyl functionalized acrylic polymer crosslinked with melamine.

9. A method for preserving breadth of color space and, or, intensity of color strength of an anodically coloring electrochromic composition comprising an anodically coloring polymer, which method composition comprises blending the anodically coloring polymer with a non-electrically conductive binder polymer in a single layer;

wherein the anodically coloring polymer is a polypyrrole polymer comprising as a repeating unit a moiety with the formula

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the anodically coloring polymer is selected from anodically coloring polymers and co-polymers having a band gap >

3 eV in the neutral state and oxidation potential <

0.5 vs a saturated calomel electrode.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the binder is crosslinked styrenic, melamine, acrylate, acrylamide, polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohol, and fluoro polymers.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the thermoset is selected from crosslinked acrylate, acrylamide and polyvinyl alcohol polymers.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein the non-electrically conductive binder polymer is also non-ionically conductive.