Fabrication of flexible electrochromic devices in wearable applications

Abstract

With the advancement of technology, smart materials such as electrochromic materials are getting more exposure and attention for research due to their promising applications ranging from smart windows to wearable electrochromic devices. However, to incorporate traditional ECDs in wearable applications poses an issue as the ITO glass used in traditional ECDs have high Young’s modulus values which correlate to increased brittleness which is unsatisfactory as it has to withstand constant conditions involving bending without breaking. However, the alternative ITO-PET has its own shortcomings being a trade off between flexibility and efficiency but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Thus, this study aims to advance beyond previous studies by study aims to fabricate a flexible WO3 based electrochromic device with comparable performance to traditional ECDs to be used in wearable applications. The ECDs will focus on the type of electrolyte used and be tested under ultraviolet light of wavelength λ from 380-800 nm. Results obtained from the UV-Vis spectra revealed that the optimized ECD had an electrolyte containing 0.5M/L LiClO4 with the addition of Fc concentration of 0.05 M which provided comparable change in transmittance of at least 40% at a much lower voltage of 1.5V.