Abstract
Electrochromic switching devices have elicited considerable attention because these thin films are among the most promising materials for energy-saving applications. The vanadium oxide system is simple and inexpensive because only a single-layer film of this material is sufficient for coloration. Vanadium dioxide thin films are fabricated by electrochemical deposition and cyclic voltammetry. Chronoamperometric analyses have indicated that the thin V2O5 film demonstrates faster intercalation and deintercalation of lithium ions than those of the thick V2O5 film, benefiting the coloration rate. Despite substantial research on the synthesis of vanadium oxides, the monitoring of electronic and atomic structures during growth and coloration of such material has not been thoroughly examined. In the present study, in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is employed to determine the electronic and atomic structures of V2O5 thin films during electrochemical growth and then electrochromic coloration. In situ XAS results demonstrate the growth mechanism of the electrodeposited V2O5 thin film and suggest that its electrochromic performance strongly depends on the local atomic structure. This study improves our understanding of the electronic and atomic properties of the vanadium oxide system grown by electrochemical deposition and enhances the design of electrochromic materials for potential energy-saving applications.
Highlights
The recent years have witnessed growing environmental concerns and increasing energy demands [1]
In situ K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was employed to investigate the electrochemical growth of the V2O5 thin films in both local electronic and atomic structures as a function of time
Electrochromic switching devices have been widely investigated because such switching can control the throughput of visible light and solar radiation into buildings by applying electrical voltage, thereby imparting energy efficiency
Summary
The recent years have witnessed growing environmental concerns and increasing energy demands [1]. In the USA, up to 40 % energy is used for primary energy consumption of buildings, which contribute over 30 % CO2 emissions [2]. The effective use of energy has increasingly become an important issue. Smart windows can change optical properties by using an applied electric field or current, thereby avoiding excessive solar heating while taking advantage of heating mechanisms when necessary. Vanadium oxide systems comprise many oxide phases, including VO, V2O3, VO2, V6O13, V3O7, and V2O5. Vanadium pentoxide is the most stable oxide in such systems. V2O5 exhibits an energy gap of approximately 2.2 eV and undergoes semiconductor–metal transition at around 250 °C.
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