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Unconventional Aluminum Ion Intercalation/Deintercalation for Fast Switching and Highly Stable Electrochromism
Author(s) -
Tian Yuyu,
Zhang Weikun,
Cong Shan,
Zheng Yuanchuan,
Geng Fengxia,
Zhao Zhigang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201502638
Subject(s) - electrochromism , intercalation (chemistry) , materials science , ion , electrochromic devices , oxide , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , chemical physics , inorganic chemistry , electrode , chemistry , organic chemistry , metallurgy
Electrochromic devices have many important commercial applications ranging from electronic paper like displays, antiglare rear‐view mirrors in cars, to energy‐saving smart windows in buildings. Monovalent ions such as H + , Li + , and Na + are widely used as insertion ions in electrochromic devices but have serious limitations such as instability, high‐cost, and hard handling. The utilization of trivalent ions as insertion ions has been largely overlooked probably because of the strong electrostatic interactions between ions and intercalation framework and the resulted difficulties of intercalation. It is demonstrated that the trivalent ion, Al 3+ , can be used as efficient insertion ion by using metal oxide hosts in nanostructured form, which brings the desired fast‐switch, high‐contrast, and high‐stability as well to electrochromic devices. Differing from the usual structure degradation by repeated guest intercalation/deintercalation, the Al 3+ insertion introduces strong electrostatic forces, which on some degree stabilize the crystal structure and consequently yield much enhanced performances.