Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of symbols and units
- List of abbreviations and acronyms
- 1 Introduction to electrochromism
- 2 A brief history of electrochromism
- 3 Electrochemical background
- 4 Optical effects and quantification of colour
- 5 Kinetics of electrochromic operation
- 6 Metal oxides
- 7 Electrochromism within metal coordination complexes
- 8 Electrochromism by intervalence charge-transfer coloration: metal hexacyanometallates
- 9 Miscellaneous inorganic electrochromes
- 10 Conjugated conducting polymers
- 11 The viologens
- 12 Miscellaneous organic electrochromes
- 13 Applications of electrochromic devices
- 14 Fundamentals of device construction
- 15 Photoelectrochromism
- 16 Device durability
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
14 - Fundamentals of device construction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of symbols and units
- List of abbreviations and acronyms
- 1 Introduction to electrochromism
- 2 A brief history of electrochromism
- 3 Electrochemical background
- 4 Optical effects and quantification of colour
- 5 Kinetics of electrochromic operation
- 6 Metal oxides
- 7 Electrochromism within metal coordination complexes
- 8 Electrochromism by intervalence charge-transfer coloration: metal hexacyanometallates
- 9 Miscellaneous inorganic electrochromes
- 10 Conjugated conducting polymers
- 11 The viologens
- 12 Miscellaneous organic electrochromes
- 13 Applications of electrochromic devices
- 14 Fundamentals of device construction
- 15 Photoelectrochromism
- 16 Device durability
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
Summary
Fundamentals of ECD construction
All electrochromic devices are electrochemical cells, so each contains a minimum of two electrodes separated by an ion-containing electrolyte. Since the colour and optical-intensity changes occurring within the electrochromic cell define its utility, the compositional changes within the ECD must be readily seen under workplace illumination. In practice, high visibility is usually achieved by fabricating the cell with one or more optically transparent electrodes (OTEs), as below.
Electrochromic operation of the ECD is effected via an external power supply, either by manipulation of current or potential. Applying a constant potential in ‘potentiostatic coloration’ is referred to in Chapter 3, while imposing a constant current is said to be ‘galvanostatic’. Galvanostatic coloration requires only two electrodes, but a true potentiostatic measurement requires three electrodes (Chapter 3), so an approximation to potentiostatic control, with two electrodes, is common.
The electrolyte between the electrodes is normally of high ionic conductivity (although see p. 386). In ECDs of types I and II, the electrolyte viscosity can be minimised to aid a rapid response. For example, a liquid electrolyte (that actually comprises the electrochromes) is employed in the world's best-selling ECD, the Gentex rear-view mirror described in Section 13.2. The electrolyte in a type-III cell is normally solid or at least viscoelastic, e.g. a semi-solid or polymer, as below.
In fact, virtually all the type-III cells in the literature are designed to remain solid during operation, as ‘all-solid-state devices’, or ‘ASSDs’.
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- Electrochromism and Electrochromic Devices , pp. 417 - 432Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2007