Method of making an electrochromic material and new electrochromic material

• US 5,130,841 A
• Filed: 11/04/1991
• Issued: 07/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Demiryont, Hulya
• Primary Examiner(s): LaRoche, Eugene R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lester, Evelyn A.
• Application Number:
  US07/787,702
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 350/357, 204/192.31, 252/583, 252/586, 359/265, 359/273
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 31/00 Compounds of vanadium
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 31/02 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/60 Optical properties, e.g. expressed in CIELAB-values
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 9/00 Tenebrescent materials, i.e. materials for which the range of wavelengths for energy absorption is changed as a result of excitation by some form of energy
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1524 Transition metal compounds

Abstract

This specification discloses vanadium oxide reduced by a codeposited reducing agent as an electrochromic material. The reducing agent may be a metal or a nonstoichiometric metal oxide. Preferred metals disclosed are vanadium and gold. Preferred metal oxides disclosed are nonstoichiometric lead oxide and nonstoichiometric bismuth oxide. The specification also discloses a method of making a nonelectrochromic, fully oxidized vanadium oxide [V₂ O₅ ] into an electrochromic material. The method includes the step of codepositing the fully oxidized vanadium oxide on a support for an electrochromic device along with a material which reduces the fully oxidized vanadium oxide to a less than fully oxidized state in which the reduced vanadium oxide is electrochromic.

Claims

1. An enhanced electrochromic material, comprising reduced vanadium oxide and a non-stoichiometric metal oxide, said reduced vanadium oxide having a formula VO_x wherein x is less than 2.5 , said non-stoichiometric metal oxide being present in said enhanced electrochromic material at a concentration up to about 10% by weight of said reduced vanadium oxide.

2. The enhanced electrochrommic material of claim 1, wherein said reduced vanadium oxide has a formula VO₂.2.

3. The enhanced electrochromic material of claim 1, wherein said non-stoichiometric metal oxide is a non-stoichiometric lead oxide.

4. The enhanced electrochromic material of claim 1, wherein said non-stoichiometric metal oxide is a non-stoichiometric bismuth oxide.

5. The enhanced electrochromic material of claim 1, wherein said non-stoichiometric metal oxide is present in said enhanced electrochromic material at a concentration of about 3% to about 7% by weight of said reduced vanadium oxide.

6. An electrochromic device, including the enhanced electrochromic material of claim 1.

7. A method for preparing reduced vanadium oxide, useful as an enhanced electrochromic material, comprising the steps of:

vaporizing a mixture comprising fully oxidized vanadium oxide and a non-stoichiometric metal oxide; and

codepositing said mixture onto a support for an electrochromic device to form a layer of said reduced vanadium oxide containing said non-stoichiometric metal oxide on said support, said non-stoichiometric metal oxide being present in said enhanced electrochromic material at a concentration up to about 10% by weight of said reduced vanadium oxide.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said non-stoichiometric metal oxide is a non-stoichiometric lead oxide.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said non-stoichiometric metal oxide is a non-stoichiometric bismuth oxide.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said non-stoichiometric metal oxide is present in said enhanced electrochromic material at a concentration of about 3% to about 7% by weight of said reduced vanadium oxide.