Multi-color electrochromic cells having solid polymer electrolyte layer with organic electrochromic material dissolved therein

• US 4,750,817 A
• Filed: 06/26/1986
• Issued: 06/14/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eltron Research & Development, LLC
• Original Assignee: Eltron Research & Development, LLC
• Inventors: Sammells, Anthony F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wan, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCutcheon, Nathan W.
• Application Number:
  US06/879,028
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 350/357, 252/600
• US Class Current: 359/270
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1503 caused by oxidation-reduction reactions in organic liquid solutions, e.g. viologen solutions
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1516 comprising organic material

Abstract

A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell having a water soluble organic electrochromic chemical dissolved in water associated with an ionically conducting polymer of a solid electrolyte. The water may be present in a water containing polymer or may be water of emulsion of a non-water containing polymer. The solid electrolyte layer has one side immediately adjacent a display electrode and the other side adjacent a cell separator.

Claims

1. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell comprising an electrochromic half cell, a counter half cell, and a separator therebetween, said electrochromic half cell comprising a display electrode comprising an electronically conducting film on a substantially transparent plate and a solid electrolyte layer comprising a water soluble organic electrochromic chemical dissolved in water associated with an ionically conducting polymer and a supporting electrolyte between said electronically conducting film and said separator.

2. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is lutetium diphthalocyanine.

3. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is selected from the group constisting of alkylviologens.

4. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is heptylviologen.

5. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said solid electrolyte layer has a thickness of about 40 Å

to about 20,000 Å

.

6. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said solid electrolyte layer has a thickness of about 200 Å

to about 10,000 Å

.

7. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is dissolved in water associated with said ionically conducting polymer by water insoluble polymer being in an emulsion in said water.

8. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is dissolved in water associated with said ionically conducting polymer by a water containing polymer.

9. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said ionically conducting polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(phosphazenes), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(propylene oxide), perfluorosulfonic acid, poly(styrene sulfonic acid), poly-2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid, poly(ethylene sulfonic acid), poly(oxyethylene), poly(methacrylate), poly(ethylene succinate), poly(vinyl acetate), polyacrylonitrile, poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(tetramethylene oxide).

10. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said supporting electrolyte is selected from the group consisting of sodium sulfate, potassium chloride, sodium hexafluorophosphate, lithium methanetrifluorosulfonate and sodium methaneotrifluorosulfonate, said supporting electrolyte present in concentration of about 0.00M to about 0.2M.

20. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said redox electroactive chemical is in a discrete layer between said counter electrode and said ionically conducting polymer layer with supporting electrolyte.

21. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said redox electroactive chemical is dissolved in water associated with said supporting electrolyte.

22. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 1 wherein said redox electroactive chemical is dispersed in said supporting electrolyte.

11. In a solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of the type comprising an electrochromic half cell, a counter half cell, and separator therebetween, and having a display electrode having an electronically conducting film on a substantially transparent plate, the improvement comprising a water soluble organic electrochromic chemical dissolved in water associated with an ionically conducting polymer of a solid electrolyte layer, said solid electrolyte layer further comprising a supporting electrolyte said electrolyte layer being between said electronically conducting film and said separator, one side of said electrolyte layer being immediately adjacent said electronically conducting film.

12. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 11 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is lutetium diphthalocynanine.

13. In a solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 11 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is selected from the group consisting of alkylviologens.

14. In a solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 11 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is heptylviologen.

15. In a solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 11 wherein said electrolyte layer has a thickness of about 40 Å

to about 20,000 Å

.

16. In a solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 11 wherein said electrolyte layer has a thickness of about 200 Å

to about 10,000 Å

.

17. In a solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 11 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is dissolved in water associated with said ionically conducting polymer by water insoluble polymer being in an emulsion in said water.

18. In a solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 11 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is dissolved in water associated with said ionically conducting polymer by a water containing polymer.

19. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell comprising an electrochromic half cell, a counter half cell, and a separator therebetween, said electrochromic half cell comprising a display electrode comprising an electronically conducting film on a substantially transparent plate and a solid electrolyte layer comprising a water soluble organic electrochromic chemical dissolved in water associated with an ionically conducting polymer, and a supporting electrolyte between said electronically conducting film and said separator, said separator comprising an insoluble cation conducting membrane and said counter half cell comprising an ionically conducting polymer layer with supporting electrolyte immediately adjacent said separator, a redox electroactic chemical and a counter electrode.

23. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 19 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is selected from the group consisting of rare earth diphthalocyanines and alkylviologens.

24. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 19 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is selected from the group consisting of lutetium diphthalocyanine and heptylviologen.

25. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 19 wherein said organic elecrochromic chemical is lutetium diphthalocyanine.

26. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 19 wherein said electrochromic layer has a thickness of about 40 Å

to about 20,000 Å

.

27. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 19 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is dissolved in water associated with said ionically conducting polymer by water insoluble polymer being in an emulsion in said water.

28. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 19 wherein said organic electrochromic chemical is dissolved in water associated with said ionically conducting polymer by a water containing polymer.

29. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 19 wherein said ionically conducting polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(phosphazenes), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(propylene oxide), perfluorosulfonic acid, poly(styrene sulfonic acid), poly-2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid), poly(ethylene sulfonic acid), poly(oxyethylene), poly(methacrylate), poly(ethylene succinate), poly(vinyl acetate), polyacrylontrile, poly(vinylidene fluoride) and poly(tetramethylene oxide).

30. A solid-state multi-color electrochromic display cell of claim 19 wherein said supporting electrolyte is selected from the group consisting of sodium sulfate, potassium chloride, sodium hexafluorophosphate, lithium methanetrifluorosulfonate and sodium methaneotrifluorosulfonate, said supporting electrolyte present in concentration of about 0.001M to about 0.2M.