ELECTROCHROMIC THERMOPLASTICS, DEVICES, AND COMPOSITES

• US 20160377946A1
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: BAUMANN, Kelvin L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,774,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 2201/019 the composition being defined by the absence of a certain additive
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/3432 Six-membered rings
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/3465 condensed with carbocyclic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 29/04 Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 9/02 Organic tenebrescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1508 using a solid electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/15165 Polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1523 comprising inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/15145 the electrochromic layer comprises a mixture of anodic and cathodic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/164 the electrolyte is made of polymers

Abstract

An electrochromic thermoplastic composition includes about 10 wt % to about 60 wt % a poly(vinyl alcohol), a poly(acrylic acid), a poly(acrylic acid) salt, a polyaniline salt, a poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride), a poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid), a co-polymer of any two or more thereof, or a mixture of any two or more thereof; about 40 wt % to about 90 wt % of a protic solvent; and at least one electroactive material; wherein the composition does not include lithium chloride, tetrabutylammonium bromide, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, lithium triflate, and lithium hexafluorophosphate.

Claims

1. An electrochromic thermoplastic composition comprising:

about 10 wt % to about 60 wt % of a poly(vinyl alcohol), a poly(acrylic acid), a poly(acrylic acid) salt, a polyaniline salt, a poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride), a poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid), a co-polymer of any two or more thereof, or a mixture of any two or more thereof;

about 40 wt % to about 90 wt % of a protic solvent; and

at least one electroactive material;

wherein the composition is substantially void of lithium chloride, tetrabutylammonium bromide, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, lithium triflate, and lithium hexafluorophosphate.

2. The electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 1 comprising:

about 10 wt % to about 60 wt % poly(vinyl alcohol),

about 40 wt % to about 90 wt % of the protic solvent; and

at least one electroactive material.

3. The electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 1, wherein the protic solvent comprises an alcohol, a carboxylic acid, a primary amino compound, a secondary amino compound, water, or a mixture of any two or more thereof.

4. The electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one electroactive material comprises a viologen represented by Formula (I):

5. The electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one electroactive material comprises an anodic material comprising a compound represented by Formula (II)

6. The electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 5 which comprises at least two different compounds represented by Formula (II).

7. The electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises at least one cathodic material and at least one anodic material.

14. An electrochromic composite comprising:

a first electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 1 comprising a cathodic material, a front surface, and a rear surface;

a second electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 1 comprising an anodic material, a front surface, and a rear surface;

a layer comprising;

about 10 wt % to about 60 wt % poly(vinyl alcohol);

about 40 wt % to about 90 wt % of a solvent comprising a protic solvent;

a front surface; and

a rear surface;

wherein

the front surface of the layer is annealed to the rear surface of the first electrochromic thermoplastic composition; and

the rear surface of the layer is annealed to the front surface of the second electrochromic thermoplastic composition.

15. The electrochromic composite of claim 14, wherein the layer further comprises an electrolyte salt.

18. An electrochromic device comprising

an electrochromic thermoplastic of claim 1 comprising a front surface and a rear surface;

a first substrate with a first conductive surface; and

a second substrate with a second conductive surface;

wherein the first conductive surface is annealed to the front surface of the electrochromic thermoplastic and the second conductive surface is annealed to the rear surface of the electrochromic thermoplastic.

20. An electrochromic device comprising

an electrochromic composite of claim 14;

a first substrate with a first conductive surface; and

a second substrate with a second conductive surface;

wherein the first conductive surface contacts the front surface of the first electrochromic thermoplastic and the second conductive surface contracts the rear surface of the second electrochromic thermoplastic.

8. An electrochromic thermoplastic composition comprising

about 10 wt % to about 60 wt % poly(vinyl alcohol);

about 40 wt % to about 90 wt % of a mixture comprising water and at least one protic solvent; and

at least one electroactive material.

9. The electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 8, wherein the at least one electroactive material comprises a viologen represented by Formula (I):

10. The electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 8, wherein the at least one electroactive material comprises an anodic material represented by Formula (II):

11. The electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 8 which is void of lithium chloride, tetrabutylammonium bromide, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, lithium triflate, and lithium hexafluorophosphate.

16. An electrochromic composite comprising:

a first electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 8 comprising a cathodic material, a front surface, and a rear surface;

a second electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 8 comprising an anodic material, a front surface, and a rear surface;

a layer comprising;

about 10 wt % to about 60 wt % poly(vinyl alcohol);

about 40 wt % to about 90 wt % of a solvent comprising a protic solvent;

a front surface; and

a rear surface;

wherein

the front surface of the layer is annealed to the rear surface of the first electrochromic thermoplastic composition; and

the rear surface of the layer is annealed to the front surface of the second electrochromic thermoplastic composition.

17. The electrochromic composite of claim 16, wherein the layer further comprises an electrolyte salt.

19. An electrochromic device comprising

an electrochromic thermoplastic of claim 8 comprising a front surface and a rear surface;

a first substrate with a first conductive surface; and

a second substrate with a second conductive surface;

wherein the first conductive surface is annealed to the front surface of the electrochromic thermoplastic and the second conductive surface is annealed to the rear surface of the electrochromic thermoplastic.

12. An electrochromic thermoplastic composition comprising:

about 10 wt % to about 35 wt % poly(vinyl formal), about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % poly(methyl methacrylate), or about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate);

about 50 wt % to about 90 wt % of an aprotic solvent; and

at least one electroactive material.

13. The electrochromic thermoplastic composition of claim 12 comprising:

about 10 wt % to about 35 wt % poly(vinyl formal) or about 10 wt % to about 50 wt % poly(methyl methacrylate);

about 50 wt % to about 90 wt % of an aprotic solvent; and

at least one electroactive material.