Electrochromic assembly based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) derivatives in combination with a lithium niobate counterelectrode

• US 6,327,070 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• 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): Lester, Evelyn A
• Application Number:
  US09/321,014
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 359/265-275, 252/583, 252/586, 524/408, 524/730, 428/457, 428/690, 428/704, 525/186, 525/206
• US Class Current: 359/269
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/15165 Polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal

Abstract

Electrochromic assemblies having a layer structure, characterized in that one layer is an electrically conductive, electrochromic polydioxythiophene and a further layer is an ion-storage compound of the formula (I)

LiMeO₃  (I)

where

Me represents a metal of transition group V of the Mendeleev Periodic Table.

Claims

1. An electrochromic assembly comprising one or more layers, wherein one layer is an electrically conductive electrochromic polydioxythiophene and a further ion-storage layer is an ion-storage compound having the formula

2. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein Me represents niobium.

3. An 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

LiNbO_3,

LiVO₃, and

LiTaO₃.

4. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 additionally comprising an ion-storage layer containing

TiO₂,

CeO₂,

V₂O₅,

Nb₂O₅, and/or

nickel oxides.

5. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive electrochromic polydioxythiophene comprises structural units of the formula (XV)

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. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive electrochromic polydioxythiophene comprises structural units of the formulas

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-C₁₅)-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. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 6 wherein polyanion counterions are anions of polymeric carboxylic acid and/or polymeric sulphonic acids.

8. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive electrochromic polydioxythiophene comprises structural units of the formulas

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. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 8 wherein polyanion counterions are anions of polymeric carboxylic acid and/or polymeric sulphonic acids.

10. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein the electrochromic assemblies contain at least one transparent electrically conductive coating on a substrate.

11. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein an electrically conductive polydioxythiophene is a conductive electrode material.

12. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 wherein a plate to which a metal layer has been deposited is used as a conductive layer for connection to a power source.

13. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 1 additionally comprising a transparent gel electrolyte layer containing a crosslinked or uncrosslinked polymer, a lithium salt, and a solvent or solvent mixture.

14. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 13 wherein the polymer is a photocrosslinkable polymer.

15. An electrochromic assembly according to claim 13 wherein the gel electrolyte contains organic and/or inorganic fillers and/or additives.