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A Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxypyrrole)–Au@WO 3 ‐Based Electrochromic Pseudocapacitor
Author(s) -
Reddy B. Narsimha,
Kumar P. Naresh,
Deepa Melepurath
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.201402625
Subject(s) - electrochromism , pseudocapacitor , materials science , supercapacitor , electrode , nanoparticle , raman spectroscopy , chemical engineering , capacitance , auxiliary electrode , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , electrochromic devices , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , optics , physics , engineering , electrolyte , chromatography
A poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxypyrrole)–gold nanoparticle (Au)–tungsten oxide (PEDOP–Au@WO 3 ) electrochromic supercapacitor electrode capable of optically modulating solar energy while simultaneously storing/releasing energy (in the form of charge) was fabricated for the first time. WO 3 fibers, 50 to 200 nm long and 20 to 60 nm wide, were synthesized by a hydrothermal route and were electrophoretically deposited on a conducting substrate. Au nanoparticles and PEDOP were coated over WO 3 to yield the PEDOP–Au@WO 3 hybrid electrode. The inclusion of Au in the hybrid was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analyses. The nanoscale electronic conductivity, coloration efficiency, and transmission contrast of the hybrid were found to be significantly greater than those of pristine WO 3 and PEDOP. The hybrid showed a high specific discharge capacitance of 130 F g −1 during coloration, which was four and ten times greater than the capacitance achieved in WO 3 or PEDOP, respectively. We also demonstrate the ability of the PEDOP–Au@WO 3 hybrid, relative to pristine PEDOP, to perform as a superior counter electrode in a solar cell, which is attributed to a higher work function. The capacitance and redox switching capability of the hybrid decreases insignificantly with cycling, thus establishing the viability of this multifunction hybrid for next‐generation sustainable devices such as electrochromic psuedocapacitors because it can concurrently conserve and store energy.