Electrochromic system

• US 6,605,239 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Issued: 08/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University College Dublin
• Original Assignee: University College Dublin
• Inventors: Cinnsealach, Rachel, Fitzmaurice, Donald, Nagaraja, S. Rao, Enright, Brendan
• Primary Examiner(s): TUCKER, PHILIP C
• Application Number:
  US09/952,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 359/265, 359/270, 359/272, 428/315.5, 428/411.1, 428/469, 428/702, 428/704, 252/582, 252/586, 252/583
• US Class Current: 252/583
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 9/02 Organic tenebrescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1516 comprising organic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249978 Voids specified as micro
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]

Abstract

An electrochromic system having a first electrode disposed on a transparent or translucent substrate and a second electrode, an electrolyte, an electron donor and a nanoporous-nanocrystalline film of a semiconducting metallic oxide having a redox chromophore adsorbed thereto being intermediate the first and second electrodes. Such a system has a very rapid electrochromic effect.

Claims

1. A nanoporous-nanocrystalline film comprising a semiconducting metal oxide having a redox chromophore adsorbed thereto, wherein the redox chromophore comprises a compound of the formula

wherein X is a charge balancing ion.

7. A film according to claim 1, wherein the metallic oxide is an oxide of a metal selected from titanium, zirconium, hafnium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, silver, zinc, strontium, iron (Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺) and nickel and perovskites thereof, preferably TiO₂, WO₃, MoO₃, ZnO or SnO₂.

2. A nanoporous-nanocrystalline film comprising a semiconducting metal oxide having a redox chromophore adsorbed thereto, wherein the redox chromophore comprises a compound of the formula

wherein X is a charge balancing ion;

R₁ is one of the following

and R₂ is one of the following;

5. A film according to claim 2, wherein R₁ is

wherein n is 2 or 3.

8. A film according to claim 2, wherein the metallic oxide is an oxide of a metal selected from titanium, zirconium, hafnium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, silver, zinc, strontium, iron (Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺) and nickel and perovskites thereof, preferably TiO₂, WO₃, MoO₃, ZnO or SnO₂.

3. A nanoporous-nanocrystalline film comprising a semiconducting metal oxide having a redox chromophore adsorbed thereto, wherein the redox chromophore comprises a compound of the formula

wherein X is a charge balancing ion;

R₁ is one of the following

and R₂ is

where m is an integer of from 1 to 6 and n is an integer of from 1 to 10.

4. A film according to claim 3, wherein m is 1 or 2 and n is an integer of from 1 to 5.

6. A film according to claim 3, wherein R₁ is

wherein n is 2 or 3.

9. A film according to claim 3, wherein the metallic oxide is an oxide of a metal selected from titanium, zirconium, hafnium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, silver, zinc, strontium, iron (Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺) and nickel and perovskites thereof, preferably TiO₂, WO₃, MoO₃, ZnO or SnO₂.