Metal Sensitized Color Changing Material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016109776-A1
Application number	US-201514884201-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 15, 2015
Priority date	Oct 15, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The subject invention pertains to color changeable, film materials comprising a metal substrate layer; a conducting polymer or conducting polymer composite layer; and an electrolyte layer. The conducting polymer or conducting polymer composite layer of the film material is capable of exhibiting changes in one or more optical properties when the film material is in contact with a metal. The subject invention also pertains to methods of preparing conducting polymer films capable of exhibiting changes in optical properties.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A film material comprising:
a metal substrate or conducting metal oxide coated substrate layer; a conducting polymer or conducting polymer composite layer; and an electrolyte layer in contact with the conducting polymer or conducting polymer composite layer, wherein the electrolyte layer comprises an acidic oxidant, wherein the conducting polymer or conducting polymer composite layer exhibits a change in at least one optical property when the film material or electrolyte is in contact with a metal.

2 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the change in the optical property causes a change in the visible color of the composite layer.

3 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the change in the optical property causes a change in the transparency or opaqueness of the composite layer to visible light.

4 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the change in the optical property causes a change in the transparency or opaqueness of the composite layer to infra-red radiation.

5 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises gold, silver, and/or platinum; or the metal oxide comprises indium tin oxide and/or fluorine doped tin oxide.

6 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the conducting polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyanilines, poly(ortho-anisidine), poly(o-toluidine), poly(ethoxy-aniline), substituted polyanilines, polypyrroles, substituted polypyrroles, polythiophene, polyindole, polycarbazole, substituted polycarbazole, and combinations thereof.

7 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the conducting polymer composite is selected from the group consisting of polyaniline-rhodamine, polypyrrole-rhodamine, polythiophene-rhodamine, polyaniline and its derivatives with congo red, polypyrrole and its derivatives with congo red, polythiophene and its derivatives with congo red, polyaniline and its derivatives with metal oxides, polypyrrole and its derivatives with metal oxides, polythiophene and its derivatives with metal oxides, polycarbazole and its derivatives with metal oxides, and combinations thereof.

8 . The material of claim 7 , wherein the metal oxides are selected from WO 3 , SnO 2 , In 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , and combinations thereof.

9 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is glass, fiber, ceramic, cloth or plastic.

10 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the acidic oxidant comprises o-iodoxybenzoic acid, peracetic acid, perboric acid, percaboxylic acid, citric acid lactic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, or combinations thereof.

11 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the metal capable of initiating a change in the optical property is selected from copper, low carbon steel, nickel, zinc, iron, indium, tin, aluminum, manganese, cobalt, palladium, silver, lithium, magnesium, and sodium.

12 . The material of claim 11 , wherein the metal is an alloy.

13 . The material of claim 1 , wherein the conducting polymer or conducting polymer composite layer exhibits a change in at least one of absorption, reflection and transmission in the infra-red range.

14 . A method of preparing a conducting polymer film capable of exhibiting changes in at least one optical property, comprising:
contacting a substrate with an electrolyte comprising an acidic oxidant; and contacting the substrate with a conducting polymer or conducting polymer composite solution.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the conducting polymer or conducting polymer composite solution further comprises nanoparticles of TiO 2 , WO 3 , MnO 2 , SnO 2 , In 2 O 3 , and/or TiO 2 -WO 3 , TiO 2 -MnO 2 , or TiO 2 -SnO 2 .

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrolyte is a gel electrolyte.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrolyte is a liquid electrolyte.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrolyte is a non-aqueous electrolyte.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrolyte is a solid electrolyte.

20 . A film material, comprising:
a conducting metal oxide coated substrate layer, wherein the substrate layer is transparent; a conducting polymer or conducting polymer composite layer; and an electrolyte layer in contact with the conducting polymer or conducting polymer composite layer, wherein the conducting polymer or conducting polymer composite layer exhibits a change in the transparency or opaqueness of the composite layer to visible light when the film material or electrolyte is in contact with a metal.

21 . The film material of claim 20 , wherein the film material is transparent when the film material or electrolyte is in contact with a metal.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the electrolyte is a gel electrolyte.

23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the electrolyte is a liquid electrolyte.

24 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the electrolyte is a non-aqueous electrolyte.

25 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the electrolyte is a solid electrolyte.

Assignees

• Ram Manoj Kumar
• Goswani D Yogi
• Stefanakos Elias K
• Univ South Florida

Inventors

• Ram Manoj Kumar
• Goswani D Yogi
• Stefanakos Elias K

Classifications

• G02B26/005

  based on electrowetting · CPC title

• G02F1/153 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G02F1/15165

  Polymers · CPC title

• G02F1/0018

  Electro-optical materials · CPC title

• C09K9/02

  Organic tenebrescent materials · CPC title