Electrochromic assembly based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) derivatives and a UV-stabilized gel electrolyte

• US 6,157,479 A
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bayer AG
• Original Assignee: Bayer AG
• Inventors: Wehrmann, Rolf, Heuer, Helmut-Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US09/321,380
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 359/265, 359/267, 359/270, 359/273, 359/275, 252/500, 252/583, 252/600, 525/186, 525/206
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 9/02 Organic tenebrescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/15165 Polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1555 Counter electrode

Abstract

UV-stabilized electrochromic assemblies having a layer structure, characterized in that one layer contains an electrically conductive, electrochromic polydioxythiophene and a further layer contains an inorganic ion-storage compound based on metal oxides or a mixture of such ion-storage compounds, where the gel electrolyte is chemically crosslinked and contains chemically bound UV absorbers which cannot migrate as UV protection.

Claims

1. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly having a UV-stabilized gel electrolyte comprising an immobilized UV absorber in a layer structure, wherein one layer is an electrically conductive electrochromic polydioxythiophene and a further ion-storage layer is one or more ion-storage compounds selected from the group consisting of compounds having the formulas

View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)

2. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein

Me¹ represents zirconium, cerium, or titanium,

Me² represents vanadium, or niobium,

Me³ represents nickel or iridium,

Me⁴ represents molybdenum or tungsten, and

Me⁵ represents vanadium, niobium, or tantalum.

3. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein the ion-storage layer is one or more ion-storage compounds selected from the group consisting of compounds having the formulas

4. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein the ion-storage layer is

5. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive electrochromic polydioxythiophene comprises structural units of the formula (XXII) ##STR6## wherein A¹ and A² represent, independently of one another, substituted or unsubstituted (C₁ -C₄)-alkyl or together form substituted or unsubstituted (C₁ -C₄)-alkylene, and

n represents an integer from 2 to 10,000, and polyanion counterions.

6. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive electrochromic polydioxythiophene comprises structural units of the formulas ##STR7## wherein R₁ and R₂ represent, independently of one another, hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted (C₁ -C₁₈)-alkyl, (C₂ -C₁₂)-alkenyl, (C₃ -C₇)-cycloalkyl, (C₇ -C₅)-aralkyl, (C₆ -C₁₀)-aryl, (C₁ -C₁₈)-alkyloxy, or (C₂ -C₁₈)-alkyloxy ester group,

R₃ and R₄ represent, independently of one another, hydrogen or a (C₁ -C₁₈)-alkyl, (C₂ -C₁₂)-alkenyl, (C₃ -C₇)-cycloalkyl, (C₇ -C₁₅)-aralkyl, (C₆ -C₁₀)-aryl, (C₁ -C₁₈)-alkyloxy, or (C₂ -C₁₈)-alkyloxy ester group substituted by at least one sulphonate group, with the proviso that R₃ and R₄ cannot both be hydrogen, and

n represents an integer from 2 to 10,000,

and polyanion counterions.

7. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 6 wherein polyanion counterions are anions of polymeric carboxylic acid and/or polymeric sulphonic acids.

8. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive electrochromic polydioxythiophene comprises structural units of the formulas ##STR8## wherein R₃ represents hydrogen or a (C₁ -C₁₈)-alkyl, (C₂ -C₁₂)-alkenyl, (C₃ -C₇)-cycloalkyl, (C₇ -C₁₅)-aralkyl, (C₆ -C₁₀)-aryl, (C₁ -C₁₈)-alkyloxy, or (C₂ -C₁₈)-alkyloxy ester group substituted by at least one sulphonate group, and

n represents an integer from 2 to 10,000,

and polyanion counterions.

9. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 8 wherein polyanion counterions are anions of polymeric carboxylic acid and/or polymeric sulphonic acids.

10. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein the electrochromic assembly contains at least one transparent electrically conductive coating on a substrate.

11. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein an electrically conductive polydioxythiophene is a conductive electrode material.

12. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein a plate (substrate) which has been mirrored by means of a metal is used as a conductive layer for connection to a power source.

13. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 additionally comprising a transparent crosslinked gel electrolyte layer containing a crosslinked polymer, a lithium salt, a solvent or solvent mixture, and one or more light stabilizers that are chemically incorporated into the crosslinked gel electrolyte layer.

14. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 13 wherein the polymer is a photocrosslinkable polymer.

15. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 13 wherein the gel electrolyte contains light stabilizers and organic and/or inorganic fillers and/or additives.

16. A UV-stabilized electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein the UV absorber is selected from the group consisting of benzophenones, benzotriazoles, organonickel compounds, salicylic esters, cinnamic esters, benzylidene malonates, benzoic esters, oxalanilides, stearically hindered amines, polymeric sterically hindered amines, and mixtures thereof and is chemically bound to the gel electrolyte.