Lithium electrochromic performance of flexible Ni oxide films enhanced by Fe oxide addition with an atmospheric pressure plasma jet for flexible electrochromic application

Abstract

Lithium electrochromic performance of flexible organo-nickel oxide (NiO y C z ) films enhanced by a rapid co-deposition with organo-iron oxide (FeO y C z ) onto 40 Ω/□ flexible polyethylene terephthalate/indium tin oxide substrates at a short exposed duration of 32 s using an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) at various gas flow ratios of ferrocence [Fe(C5H5)2] precursors added onto nickelocence [Ni(C5H5)2] precursors is investigated. The APPJ-synthesized organo-nickel-iron oxide (NiFe x O y C z ) films possess notable electrochromic performance for 200 cycles of reversible Li+ ion intercalation and deintercalation in a 1 M LiClO4-propylene carbonate electrolyte by the switching measurements of potential sweep from −1.25 to 1.25 V at a scan rate of 50 mV/s and the potential step at −1.25 and 1.25 V. The optical modulation (∆T) of 27.6 % for NiO y C z films with a thickness of 299 nm at a wavelength of 463.6 nm is highly improved up to of 46.8 % for NiFe x O y C z films with a thickness of 313 nm as synthesized with an APPJ at atmospheric pressure and room temperature (~23 °C).