Preparation, optimization and electrochromic properties of dual-band device with four modes

Abstract

A dual-band electrochromic device with four modes was fabricated to selective modulate the transmittance from visible to near-infrared bands for the energy-saving field. The new LiClO4 + TBACl + AgNO3 electrolyte was prepared to respectively regulate the redox reactions of silver ion and lithium ion to prove the four modes of the device. The dual-band device with a sandwich structure was fabricated by the titanium dioxide electrochromic film, the gallium doped zinc oxide ion storage film and the LiClO4 + TBACl + AgNO3 electrolyte. The titanium dioxide and gallium doped zinc oxide films were prepared by a nanoparticle deposition system, which is an environmentally friendly dry deposition technique. By controlling the supplied potential, the redox reactions of silver ion and lithium ion present four modes, including transparent mode, warm mode, cold mode and full block mode. For warm mode, the localized surface plasmon resonance effect was excited by generating silver nanoparticles using two-stage potential. Moreover, the titanium dioxide film with high surface roughness shown the large light scattering effect, the transmittance of ∼0% at whole wavelengths was obtained in full block mode. The electrochromic device shown the large transmittance modulation (71%) and excellent cyclic stability (600 cycles). Therefore, it is proved that the transmittance can be adjusted at a specific wavelength by the electrochromic device, which provides an effective way for developing dual-band smart devices to reduce energy consumption.