Electrochromic device

• US 6,728,022 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Oil Corporation (ENEOS Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Oil Corporation (ENEOS Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohshima, Shinji, Asano, Tsuyoshi, Nishikitani, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, TIMOTHY J
• Application Number:
  US10/205,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20030072071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 359/238, 359/265, 359/273, 359/274, 359/275
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 8/42 Introducing metal atoms or metal-containing groups
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1503 caused by oxidation-reduction reactions in organic liquid solutions, e.g. viologen solutions
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/15165 Polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/15145 the electrochromic layer comprises a mixture of anodic and cathodic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1518 Ferrocene compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/164 the electrolyte is made of polymers

Abstract

An electrochromic device comprises an ion conductive layer containing an electrochromic polymer that has a bipyridine ion pair structure and a metallocene structure and/or a dihydroxyphenaizine structure. The device has low leakage current and reduced remnant coloration after a long time use.

Claims

1. An electrochromic device having an ion conductive layer between a pair of electrically conductive substrates at least one of which is transparent

wherein said ion conductive layer contains an electrochromic polymer which is a reaction product of a polymer having reactive groups and an organic compound having both a structure exhibiting cathodic electrochromic properties and a structure exhibiting anodic electrochromic properties and functional groups reactive to said reactive groups and

wherein said structure exhibiting cathodic electrochromic properties is a bipyridinium ion pair structure represented by formula (1) below and said structure exhibiting anodic electrochromic properties is a metallocene structure represented by formula (2) or (3) below:

wherein X⁻

and Y⁻

are the same or different and are each independently a pair-anion selected from the group consisting of a halogen anion, ClO₄⁻

, BF₄⁻

, PF₆⁻

, CHCOO⁻

, and CH₃(C₆H₄) SO⁻

; and

wherein R¹ and R² are the same or different and are each independently a hydrocarbon group selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an alkenyl group and an aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, in the case where R¹ or R² is an aryl group, the aryl group may form a condensed ring together with a cyclopentadienyl ring, m is an integer of 0≦

m≦

4, n is an integer of 0≦

n≦

4, and Me represents Cr, Co, Fe, Mg, Ni, Os, Ru, V, X—

HF—

Y, X—

Mo—

Y, X—

Nb—

Y, X—

Ti—

Y, X—

V—

Y or X—

Zr—

Y wherein X and Y are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a halogen group and an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

2. An electrochromic device having an ion conductive layer between a pair of electrically conductive substrates at least one of which is transparent

wherein said ion conductive layer contains an electrochromic polymer which is a reaction product of a polymer having reactive groups and an organic compound having both a structure exhibiting cathodic electrochromic properties and a structure exhibiting anodic electrochromic properties and functional groups reactive to said reactive groups and

wherein said structure exhibiting cathodic electrochromic properties is a bipyridinium ion pair structure represented by formula (1) below and said structure exhibiting anodic electrochromic properties is a dihydrophenazine structure represented by one of formulae (4) through (7) below:

wherein R¹ and R² are the same or different and are each independently a hydrocarbon group selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an alkenyl group and an aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, in the case where R¹ or R² is an aryl group, the aryl group may form a condensed ring together with a cyclopentadienyl ring, and

wherein R³ and R⁴ are the same or different and are each independently a hydrocarbon group selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, and an aryl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, where m′

is an integer of 0≦

m′

≦

4, and n′

is an integer of 0≦

n′

≦

4.