Synthesis, characterizations, and electrochromic studies of WO3 coated CeO2 nanorod thin films for smart window applications

Abstract

In this work, Cerium oxide nanorods were synthesized on Fluorine doped Tin oxide (FTO) substrate by a hydrothermal technique involving Ce(NO3)3·6H2O (Cerium Nitrate Hexahydrate) and CH4N2O (Urea). The DC magnetron sputtering was used to deposit a thin layer of WO3 on Cerium Oxide nanorods in the presence of argon gas at room temperature. With the prepared CeO2/WO3 thin films as the working electrode, saturated AgCl2 as the reference electrode, and platinum mesh as the counter electrode, a three-electrode electrochemical cell was developed with 0.5 M H2SO4 solution diluted in deionized (DI) water as the electrolyte. The electrochromic studies displayed a coloration efficiency of 10.14 cm2/C for 0.1 M film. SEM, UV–Visible, XRD, and electrochemical analyzer were used to investigate the surface morphology, optical properties, composition, and electrochromic performance of the prepared thin films. A combination of CeO2 nanorods and WO3 coating has been proved to be a potential material for Electro Chromic Devices (ECD), because of its large charge capacity and optical transmission behavior.