Multicolor electrochromic structure, fabrication method and application thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11747695-B2
Application number	US-201916762671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2019
Priority date	Feb 27, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A multicolor electrochromic structure comprises a working electrode, an electrolyte and an auxiliary electrode. The electrolyte is distributed between the working electrode and the auxiliary electrode. The working electrode comprises an electrochromic layer which comprises a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface arranged face to face in parallel. A dielectric layer is arranged between the first and the second reflective surfaces. The first and the second reflective surfaces and the dielectric layer form an optical cavity. The dielectric layer is fabricated by an electrochromic material. The multicolor electrochromic structure can combine a structural color with electrochromism to display various color changes; it features a simple structure, low costs and a wide application prospect, and it is easy to be fabricated. Also provided are a fabrication method and a regulation method of the multicolor electrochromic structure, and an electrochromic device, an image display, comprising the multicolor electrochromic structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multicolor electrochromic structure, consisting of a working electrode, an electrolyte and an auxiliary electrode, wherein the electrolyte is distributed between the working electrode and the auxiliary electrode; the working electrode consists of an electrochromic layer; the electrochromic layer consists of a first reflective surface, a second reflective surface, a dielectric layer, a metal reflective layer and a thin metal layer; the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface are arranged face to face in parallel; the dielectric layer is arranged between the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface; the first reflective surface, the second reflective surface and the dielectric layer form an optical cavity; when incident light falls in the optical cavity, a phase shift of a reflected light formed on the first reflective surface and a reflected light formed on the second reflective surface is {tilde over (β)}=(2π/λ)ñ 1 d cos {tilde over (θ)} 1 , d is a thickness of the dielectric layer, ñ 1 is a refractive index of the dielectric layer, λ is a wavelength of the incident light, {tilde over (θ)} 1 is an angle of refraction when the incident light passes through the first reflective surface; the metal reflective layer and the thin metal layer are positioned in parallel on opposite sides of the dielectric layer; wherein the material of the metal reflective layer is selected from gold, silver, copper, tungsten and titanium; and the material of the thin metal layer is selected from Ag, Al, Cu and Ni.

2. The multicolor electrochromic structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first reflective surface is a first surface of the dielectric layer, the second reflective surface is a combined interface of a second surface of the dielectric layer and the metal reflective layer, and the first surface and the second surface are arranged back to back.

3. The multicolor electrochromic structure according to claim 2 , wherein if a refractive index of a medium on the first surface of the dielectric layer is defined as ñ 0 , a reflection coefficient of the first reflective surface is {tilde over (r)} 01 =(ñ 0 cos {tilde over (θ)} 0 −ñ 1 cos {tilde over (θ)} 1 )/(ñ 0 cos {tilde over (θ)} 0 +ñ 1 cos {tilde over (θ)} 1 ), and {tilde over (θ)} 0 is an angle of incidence of the incident light;
and/or, if a refractive index of a medium on the second surface of the dielectric layer is defined as ñ 2 , a reflection coefficient of the second reflective surface is {tilde over (r)} 12 =(ñ 1 cos {tilde over (θ)} 1 −ñ 2 cos {tilde over (θ)} 2 )/(ñ 1 cos {tilde over (θ)} 1 +ñ 2 cos {tilde over (θ)} 2 ), and {tilde over (θ)} 2 is an angle of refraction when the incident light passes through the second reflective surface.

4. The multicolor electrochromic structure according to claim 3 , wherein a reflection coefficient of the electrochromic layer is

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Assignees

• Suzhou Inst Nano Tech & Nano Bionics Sinano Cas
• Suzhou Inst Of Nano Tech And Nano Bionics

Inventors

• Zhao Zhigang
• Wang Zhen
• Cong Shan

Classifications

• G02F1/157 Primary

  Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices · CPC title

• G02F1/133354

  Arrangements for aligning or assembling substrates · CPC title

• G02F1/155

  Electrodes · CPC title

• G02F1/1524 Primary

  Transition metal compounds · CPC title

• G02F1/1533 Primary

  structural features not otherwise provided for · CPC title