Polymeric complexes of transition metal ions as electrochromic materials: Synthesis and properties

Assessing the Influence of Confinement on the Stability of Polyoxometalate-Functionalized Surfaces: A Soft Sequential Immobilization Approach for Electrochromic Devices

A functionalization process has been developed and the experimental conditions optimized allowing the immobilization of first-row transition metal (Mn+) containing polyoxometalates (POMs) with the formula [M(H2O)P2W17O61](10-n)- on transparent indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes for electrochromic applications. Both flat ITO grafted with 4-sulfophenyl moieties and sulfonate-functionalized vertically oriented silica films on ITO have been used as electrode supports to evaluate possible confinement effects provided by the mesoporous matrix on the stability of the modified surfaces and their electrochromic properties. Functionalization involved a two-step sequential process: (i) the immobilization of hexaaqua metallic ions, such as Fe(H2O)63+, onto the sulfonate-functionalized materials achieved through hydrogen bonding interactions between the sulfonate functions and aqua ligands (water molecules) coordinated to the metallic ions facilitating and stabilizing the attachment of the metallic ions to the sulfonated surfaces; (ii) their coordination to [P2W17O61]10- species to generate "in situ" the target [Fe(H2O)P2W17O61]7- moieties. Comparison of the characterized surfaces clearly evidenced a significant improvement in the long-term stability of the nanostructured [Fe(H2O)P2W17O61]7--functionalized silica films compared to the less constrained flat [Fe(H2O)P2W17O61]7--modified ITO electrodes for which a rapid loss of [P2W17O61]10- species was observed. Concordantly, the [Fe(H2O)P2W17O61]7- POM confined in the mesoporous films coated on ITO gave rise to much better and stable electrochromic properties, with a transmittance modulation of 40% at 515 nm.

The frontier of tungsten oxide nanostructures in electronic applications

Electrochromic (EC) glazing has garnered significant attention recently as a crucial solution for enhancing energy efficiency in future construction and automotive sectors. EC glazing could significantly reduce the energy usage of buildings compared to traditional blinds and glazing. Despite their commercial availability, several challenges remain, including issues with switching time, leakage of electrolytes, production costs, etc. Consequently, these areas demand more attention and further studies. Among inorganic-based EC materials, tungsten oxide nanostructures are essential due to its outstanding advantages such as low voltage demand, high coloration coefficient, large optical modulation range, and stability. This review will summarize the principal design and mechanism of EC device fabrication. It will highlight the current gaps in understanding the mechanism of EC theory, discuss the progress in material development for EC glazing, including various solutions for improving EC materials, and finally, introduce the latest advancements in photo-EC devices that integrate photovoltaic and EC technologies.

Near-IR Electrochromic Film with High Optical Contrast and Stability Prepared by Oxidative Electropolymerization of Triphenylamine Modified Terpyridine Platinum(II) Chloride

Terpyridine (TPY) platinum(II) chloride with a triphenylamine (TPA) group was successfully synthesized. The strong intramolecular Donor(TPA)-Acceptor(TPY) interaction induced the low-energy absorption band, mixing the spin-allowed singlet dπ(Pt)→π*(TPY) metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) with the chloride ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) and chloride ligand-to-ligand (TPY) charge transfer (LLCT) transitions, to bathochromically shift to λmax = 449 nm with significant enhancement and broadening effects. Using the cyclic voltammetry method, its oxidative electropolymerization (EP) films on working Pt disk and ITO electrodes were produced with tunable thickness and diffusion controlled redox behavior, which were characterized by the SEM, EDS, FT-IR, and AC impedance methods. Upon applying +1.4 V voltage, the sandwich-type electrochromic device (ECD) with ca. 290 nm thickness of the EP film exhibits a distinct color transformation from red (CIE coordinates: L = 50.75, a = 18.58, b = 5.69) to dark blue (CIE coordinates: L = 45.65, a = -1.35, b = -12.49). Good electrochromic (EC) parameters, such as a large optical contrast (ΔT%) of 78%, quick coloration and bleaching response times of 2.9 s and 1.1 s, high coloration and bleaching efficiencies of 278.0 and 390.5 C-1·cm2, and good cycling stability (maintains 70% of the initial ΔT% value after 3200 voltage switching cycles), were obtained.

Effect of metal dopants on the electrochromic performance of hydrothermally-prepared tungsten oxide materials

Electrochromic (EC) glass has the potential to significantly improve energy efficiency in buildings by controlling the amount of light and heat that the building exchanges with its exterior. However, the development of EC materials is still hindered by key challenges such as slow switching time, low coloration efficiency, short cycling lifetime, and material degradation. Metal doping is a promising technique to enhance the performance of metal oxide-based EC materials, where adding a small amount of metal into the host material can lead to lattice distortion, a variation of oxygen vacancies, and a shorter ion transfer path during the insertion and de-insertion process. In this study, we investigated the effects of niobium, gadolinium, and erbium doping on tungsten oxide using a single-step solvothermal technique. Our results demonstrate that both insertion and de-insertion current density of a doped sample can be significantly enhanced by metal elements, with an improvement of about 5, 4 and 3.5 times for niobium, gadolinium and erbium doped tungsten oxide, respectively compared to a pure tungsten oxide sample. Moreover, the colouration efficiency increased by 16, 9 and 24% when doping with niobium, gadolinium and erbium, respectively. These findings suggest that metal doping is a promising technique for improving the performance of EC materials and can pave the way for the development of more efficient EC glass for building applications.

Configurationally Nonselective Aquation of a Mononuclear Ru(II) Chloro Complex to Aquo Complex Isomers with Distinctive Aspects in Photoisomerization, Redox, and Catalytic Water Oxidation

distal-[Ru(EtOtpy)(pynp)Cl]+ (d-EtO1Cl) (EtOtpy = 4'-ethoxy-2,2':6',2″-terpyridine, pynp = 2-(2-pyridyl)-1,8-naphthyridine), and distal/proximal-[Ru(EtOtpy)(pynp)OH2]2+ (d/p-EtO1H2O) complexes were newly synthesized to investigate the synergistic influence of the geometric configuration coupled with substituent introduction of an ethoxy (EtO) group on the physicochemical properties and reactions of the Ru(II) complexes. Configurationally nonselective aquation of d-EtO1Cl was uniquely observed to form d/p-EtO1H2O isomers in water, in contrast to configurationally selective aquation of distal-[Ru(tpy)(pynp)Cl]+ (d-1Cl, tpy = 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine) without the EtO group [Yamazaki, H. . J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 8846-8849].The kinetic profiles of the aquation reactions of d-EtO1Cl were well analyzed using a sequential reversible reaction model assuming the reversible interconversion between d/p-EtO1H2O isomers via d-EtO1Cl. The observed equilibrium constant (Kiso) of isomerization between p/d-EtO1H2O was calculated from the kinetic analysis as Kiso = 0.45, which is consistent with the final concentration ratio (1:0.43) of p/d-EtO1H2O generated in the aquation reaction of d-EtO1Cl. The irreversible photoisomerization from d-EtO1H2O to p-EtO1H2O was observed in water with an internal quantum yield (Φ) of 0.44% at 520 nm. Electrochemical measurements showed that d-EtO1H2O undergoes a 2-step oxidation reaction of 1H+-coupled 1e- processes of RuII-OH2/RuIII-OH and RuIII-OH/RuIV═O at pH 1.3-9.7, whereas p-EtO1H2O undergoes a 1-step oxidation reaction of a 2H+-coupled 2e- process of RuII-OH2/RuIV═O in the pH range of 1.8-11.5. Any redox potential of d/p-EtO1H2O isomers was decreased by the electro-donating EtO substitution, compared with distal/proximal-[Ru(tpy)(pynp)OH2]2+ (d/p-1H2O). The turnover frequency (kO2 = 1.7 × 10-2 s-1) of d-EtO1H2O for water oxidation catalysis is higher than that (3.5 × 10-4 s-1) of p-EtO1H2O by a factor of 48.6. The kO2 value (1.7 × 10-2 s-1) for d-EtO1H2O is 4.5-fold higher than those of d-1H2O (3.8 × 10-3 s-1). The higher kO2 value of d-EtO1H2O compared with d-1H2O could be explained by the fast oxidation rate from RuIV═O to RuV═O involved in the rate-determining step due to the electron-donating EtO group.

Reversible Electrochromic/Electrofluorochromic Dual Switching in Zn(II)-Based Metallo-Supramolecular Polymer Films

The introduction of novel materials with multifunctional chromogenic properties, such as electrochromic/electrofluorochromic (EC/EFC) properties, has recently attracted prospective interest in the development of various optoelectronic devices and smart windows. In this study, a novel Zn(II)-based metallo-supramolecular polymer (polyZn) has been developed as an ON/OFF switchable EFC application with prominent EC behavior. In this regard, the polymeric chain of polyZn was first synthesized by 1:1 complexation in a zigzag manner with Zn(II) ions at the metal center and 4,4'-[bis(2,2':6',2″-terpyridinyl)benzene]triphenylamine (LTPY-TPA) as the redox-active ditopic ligand. The polyZn exhibits excellent solubility in organic solvents and can form a very good uniform thin film on an indium tin oxide/glass substrate by spin-coating. In a neutral state, transparent polyZn exhibits a bright yellow color to the naked eye (absorption at ∼325 nm). The electroactive triphenylamine (TPA) core of LTPA-TPY, however, undergoes reversible single-electron oxidation when a positive bias of +1.6 V vs Ag/Ag+ is applied, generating radical cations (TPA ↔ TPA•+) with a significant drop in transparency (77%). A noticeable chromic shift in the hue of the film from brilliant yellow to green was observed with the appearance of a near-infrared absorption band at ∼897 nm with a tail of 1300-1600 nm. Interestingly, in addition to this EC phenomenon, the fabricated solid-state polyZn film exhibits intense, high-contrast reddish-orange photoluminescence with λem = 650 nm, which is significantly desired as a molecular probe for bioimaging. Both the TPA core and the redox-inactive Zn(II)-terpyridine core emit orange-red photoluminescence in polyZn, which is significantly quenched upon the oxidation of the film and is re-emitted at 0.0 V vs Ag/Ag+. This ON/OFF EFC transition was sustained for several cycles. This study should motivate to design and create distinctive new unique materials with combined EC/EFC behavior for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices by combining a metal-fluorescent core with a redox-active spacer.

Multicolor Tunable Electrochromic Materials Based on the Burstein-Moss Effect

Inorganic electrochromic (EC) materials, which can reversibly switch their optical properties by current or potential, are at the forefront of commercialization of displays and smart windows. However, most inorganic EC materials have challenges in achieving multicolor tunability. Here, we propose that the Burstein-Moss (BM) effect, which could widen the optical gap by carrier density, could be a potential mechanism to realize the multicolor tunable EC phenomenon. Degenerated semiconductors with suitable fundament band gaps and effective carrier masses could be potential candidates for multicolor tunable EC materials based on the BM effect. We select bulk Y₂CF₂ as an example to illustrate multicolor tunability based on the BM effect. In addition to multicolor tunability, the BM effect also could endow EC devices with the ability to selectively modulate the absorption for near infrared and visible light, but with a simpler device structure. Thus, we believe that this mechanism could be applied to design novel EC smart windows with unprecedented functions.

Metal-Terpyridine Assembled Functional Materials for Electrochromic, Catalytic and Environmental Applications

Molecular assembly induced by metal-terpyridine-based coordinative interactions has become an emergent research topic due to its ease of synthesis and diverse applications. This article highlights recent significant developments in the metal-terpyridine-based supramolecular architectures. At first, the design aspect of the molecular building blocks has been described, followed by elaboration on how the ligand backbone plays an important role for achieving different dimensionalities of the resulting assemblies which exhibit a wide range of potential applications. After that, we discussed different synthetic approaches for constructing these assemblies, and finally, we focused on their significant developments in three specific areas, viz., electrochromic materials, catalysis and a new application in wastewater treatment. In the field of electrochromic materials, these assemblies made important advancements in various aspects like sub-second switching time (<1 s), low switching voltage (<1 V), increased switching stability (>10000 cycles), tuning of multiple colors by using multimetallic systems, fabrication of charge storing electrochromic devices, utilizing and storing solar energy etc. Similarly, the catalysis field witnessed application of the metal-terpyridine assemblies in C-H monohalogenation, heterogeneous Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, photocatalysis, reduction of carbon dioxide, etc. Finally, the environmental application of these coordination assemblies includes capturing Cr(VI) from waste water efficiently with high capture capacity, good recyclability, wide pH independency etc.

A Review on Mechanochemistry: Approaching Advanced Energy Materials with Greener Force

Mechanochemistry with solvent-free and environmentally friendly characteristics is one of the most promising alternatives to traditional liquid-phase-based reactions, demonstrating epoch-making significance in the realization of different types of chemistry. Mechanochemistry utilizes mechanical energy to promote physical and chemical transformations to design complex molecules and nanostructured materials, encourage dispersion and recombination of multiphase components, and accelerate reaction rates and efficiencies via highly reactive surfaces. In particular, mechanochemistry deserves special attention because it is capable of endowing energy materials with unique characteristics and properties. Herein, the latest advances and progress in mechanochemistry for the preparation and modification of energy materials are reviewed. An outline of the basic knowledge, methods, and characteristics of different mechanochemical strategies is presented, distinguishing this review from most mechanochemistry reviews that only focus on ball-milling. Next, this outline is followed by a detailed and insightful discussion of mechanochemistry-involved energy conversion and storage applications. The discussion comprehensively covers aspects of energy transformations from mechanical/optical/chemical energy to electrical energy. Finally, next-generation advanced energy materials are proposed. This review is intended to bring mechanochemistry to the frontline and guide this burgeoning field of interdisciplinary research for developing advanced energy materials with greener mechanical force.

Distinctive Aspects in Aquation, Proton-Coupled Redox, and Photoisomerization Reactions between Geometric Isomers of Mononuclear Ruthenium Complexes with a Large-π-Conjugated Tetradentate Ligand

Geometric isomers of mononuclear ruthenium(II) complexes, distal-/proximal-[Ru(tpy)(dpda)Cl]⁺ (d-/p-RuCl, tpy = 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine, dpda = 2,7-bis(2-pyridyl)-1,8-diazaanthracene), were newly synthesized to comprehensively investigate the geometric and electronic structures and distinctive aspects in various reactions between isomers. The ultraviolet (UV)-visible absorption spectra of d-/p-RuCl isomers show intense bands for metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) at close wavelengths of 576 and 573 nm, respectively. However, time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations suggest that the MLCT transition of d-RuCl involves mainly single transitions to the π* orbital of the dpda ligand in contrast to mixing of the π* orbitals of the dpda and tpy ligands for p-RuCl. The aquation reaction (1.5 × 10^-3 s^-1) of p-RuCl to yield proximal-[Ru(tpy)(dpda)(OH₂)]²⁺ (p-RuH₂O) is faster than that (5.3 × 10^-6 s^-1) of d-RuCl in D₂O/CD₃OD (4:1 v/v) by three orders of magnitude, which resulted from the longer Ru-Cl bond by 0.017 Å and the distorted angle (100.2(3)°) of Cl-Ru-N (a nitrogen of dpda, being on a tpy plane) due to the steric repulsion between Cl and dpda for p-RuCl. Electrochemical measurements showed that d-RuH₂O undergoes a 2-step oxidation reaction of 1H⁺-coupled 1e^- processes of Ru^II-OH₂/Ru^III-OH and Ru^III-OH/Ru^IV═O at pH 1-9, whereas p-RuH₂O undergoes a 1-step oxidation reaction of a 2H⁺-coupled 2e^- process of Ru^II-OH₂/Ru^IV═O in the pH range of pH 1-10. The irreversible photoisomerization from d-RuH₂O to p-RuH₂O was observed in aqueous solution with an internal quantum yield (Φ) of 5.4 × 10^-3% at 520 nm, which is lower compared with Φ = 1.1-2.1% of mononuclear Ru(II) aquo complexes with similar bidentate ligands instead of dpda by three orders of magnitude. This is possibly ascribed to the faster nonradiative decay rate from the excited ³MLCT state to the ground state for d-RuH₂O due to the lower π* level of dpda ligands according to the energy-gap law: the rate decreases exponentially with the increasing energy gap.

Tunable Capacitive Behavior in Metallopolymer-based Electrochromic Thin Film Supercapacitors

Volumetric capacitance is a more critical performance parameter for rechargeable power supply in lightweight and microelectronic devices as compared to gravimetric capacitance in larger devices. To this end, we report three electrochromic metallopolymer-based electrode materials containing Fe²⁺ as the coordinating metal ion with high volumetric capacitance and energy densities in a symmetric two-electrode supercapacitor setup. These metallopolymers exhibited volumetric capacitance up to 866.2 F cm^-3 at a constant current density of 0.25 A g^-1. The volumetric capacitance (poly-Fe-L2: 544.6 F cm^-3 > poly-Fe-L1: 313.8 F cm^-3 > poly-Fe-L3: 230.8 F cm^-3 at 1 A g^-1) and energy densities (poly-Fe-L2: 75.5 mWh cm^-3 > poly-Fe-L1: 43.6 mWh cm^-3 > poly-Fe-L3: 31.2 mWh cm^-3) followed the order of the electrical conductivity of the metallopolymers and are among the best values reported for metal-organic systems. The variation in the ligand structure was key toward achieving different electrical conductivities in these metallopolymers with excellent operational stability under continuous cycling. High volumetric capacitances and energy densities combined with tunable electro-optical properties and electrochromic behavior of these metallopolymers are expected to contribute to high performance and compact microenergy storage systems. We envision that the integration of smart functionalities with thin film supercapacitors would warrant the surge of miniaturized on-chip microsupercapacitors integrated in-plane with other microelectronic devices for wearable applications.

Thiazole-Formulated Azomethine Compound for Three-Way Detection of Mercury Ions in Aqueous Media and Application in Living Cells

Heavy metal ions are extremely poisonous and cause long-term harm to living organisms. Among these ions, mercury is the most toxic metal and has no notorious purpose in the human body. In this regard, an elegant azomethine thiazole compound AM1 was synthesized, and it was found to be highly sensitive to three-way detection of mercury ions with detection limits of 0.1126 × 10^-9 M (FL) and 0.64 × 10^-6 M (UV-vis). AM1 highlighted the capability to detect mercury ions through the colorimetric method, the fluorometric method, and via the naked eye in three-way detection. In addition, the structure of AM1 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies and crystallized in a monoclinic crystal system with a P21/c space group, and it shows numerous noncovalent interactions in the crystal packing. The high sensitivity of AM1 to Hg²⁺ ions was imputed to the quenching mechanism and was estimated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorbance, fluorescence (FL) emission, Job's plot, B-H plot, and DFT calculation. Naked eye color change of AM1 solution to yellow and turn-off FL by the addition of mercury ion is due to complex formation. In addition to mercury ions, the sensor displayed a new absorption peak at around 240 nm. Furthermore, an AM1-coated test strip is used as the solid support sensor, and real-time detection of Hg²⁺ ions in the HeLa cell line by fluorescence microscopy is performed.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Schiff Base Metal–Ligand Complexes with Copper and Nickel Centres for Electrochemical In Vitro Sensing of Nitric Oxide in an Aqueous Solution

Nitric oxide (NO), the smallest signalling molecule known in the human body, keeps blood vessels dilated, controls blood pressure, and has numerous other health regulatory effects. The use of Schiff base complexes incorporated onto electrodes to make electrochemical sensors has been explored as an effective method for the determination and quantification of nitric oxide in aqueous solutions. Schiff base ligands were complexed with Cu and Ni metal centres using the microwave synthesis method to produce metal–ligand complexes with enhanced capabilites for NO detection. The electrical current generated at the anode is directly proportional to NO concentrations in the solution through its oxidation to HNO3. Various characterisation techniques were implemented to verify the integrity of each step of metal–ligand synthesis as well as the final product produced, using FT-IR, UV-VIS, and TGA. The as-synthesised Schiff base complexes were electrodeposited on screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCE) and electrochemically evaluated in a 0.1 M PBS. Furthermore, metal complexes were screened for their in vitro activity towards NO detection in an aqueous solution (PBS). The results show that the investigated sensors (SPCE/Ni-BPND and SPCE/Cu-BPND) respond positively toward NO detection. It was, therefore, identified that the two sensors also do not differ significantly in terms of precision, sensitivity, and lowest detection limit. The sensor strategies demonstrate the NO limits of detection of 0.22 µM and 0.09 µM, and they also demonstrate sensitivity values of 16.3 µA/µM and 13.1 µA/µM for SPCE/Cu-BPND and SPCE/Ni-BPND sensors, respectively.

An Efficient Cyan Emission from Copper (II) Complexes with Mixed Organic Conjugate Ligands

Copper (II) complexes containing mixed ligands were synthesized in dimethyl formamide (DMF). The intense cyan emission at an ambient temperature is observed for solid copper (II) complexes with salicylic acid and a 12% quantum yield with a fluorescent lifetime of approximately 10 ms. Hence, copper (II) complexes with salicylic acid are excellent candidates for photoactive materials. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveal that the divalent copper metal centers coordinate with the nitrogen and oxygen lone pairs of conjugate ligands. XPS binding energy trends for core electrons in lower-lying orbitals are similar for all three copper (II) complexes: nitrogen 1s and oxygen 1s binding energies increase relative to those for undiluted ligands, and copper 2p3/2 binding energies decrease relative to that for CuCl2. The thermal behavior of these copper complexes reveals that the thermal stability is characterized by the following pattern: Cu(1,10-phenanthroline)(salicylic acid) > Cu(1,10-phenanthroline)(2,2’-bipyridine) > Cu(1,10-phenanthroline)(1-benzylimidazole)2.

Investigation of electrochemistry and electrochromic performance of metallopolymer formed by electropolymerization of Fe(II) complex with triphenylamine-hydrazone ligand

The complex of Fe(II) ions of general formula [FeL2](BF4)2 with triphenylamine-hydrazone ligand L has been synthesized and characterized. Oxidative electropolymerization of the complex proceeded smoothly on the working electrode producing homogenous thin film of metallopolymer. The film thickness and morphology of the layer was investigated by microscopy techniques such as SEM and AFM, and the composition of the film was confirmed by XPS analysis. It was found that after fifty successive oxidation/reduction cycles the film of thickness 120 nm was formed on the electrode surface. The metallopolymer was also characterized using cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemical methods. The film was found to change its color from yellow to green-blue, high change in transmittance of 60% at 770 nm and good electrochemical stability during 375 cycles of switching of the potential between -0.1 V and +1.5 V, due to the presence of metal ions that link two ligand molecules resulting in formation of highly cross-linked film. The switching times (coloration and bleaching) were calculated to be 34.2 s and 7.3 s, respectively. Coloration efficiency of the formed film of polymeric complex was found to be 144 cm 2 /C.

Electrochromic behavior of fac-tricarbonyl rhenium complexes

Tricarbonyl rhenium complex shows good electrochromic performance with a colored stage of green, rapid response and good switching stability.

Towards modulating the colour hues of isoindigo-based electrochromic polymers through variation of thiophene-based donor groups

This paper demonstrated that the hues of both neutral and oxidised colours of isoindigo-based donor–acceptor polymers could be tuned subtly by means of variation of the number and type of donor groups.

An O-Carborane Derivative of Perylene Bisimide-Based Thin Film Displaying both Electrochromic and Electrofluorochromic Properties

The widespread application in displays, information encryption, and sensors has boosted studies of electrochromic (EC) systems combining large contrast, fast response, high robustness, and low-cost properties. Herein, we report a film-type new EC system with a non-planar perylene bisimide-carborane derivative (PBI-CB) as the electroactive materials. It was revealed that the film demonstrated outstanding EC properties with response times of 1.18 and 0.94 s for the coloration and bleaching processes, respectively, large transmittance variation around 630 nm (45.7%), and superior stability for more than 200 coloration-bleaching cycles. Moreover, the film also showed precious electrofluorochromic (EFC) properties. The emission around 650 nm at the "on" state could be more than 24.5 times than that at the "off" state, and the response times of the off and on processes could reach 2.2 s and 4.3 s, respectively. Considering the facts that the film was fabricated via simple drop-coating, the EC/EFC operation was performed via a routine three-electrode system and the voltage applied is only -1.3 V, we believe that the EC/EFC system as developed would find applications in smart windows, information encryption, optoelectrical sensing, etc. In addition, the work could also pave the way for developing combined EC/EFC systems via employing known organic fluorophores as the electrochemical active materials, which are not only abundant in numbers but also solution-processable.

Transmissive to blackish-green NIR electrochromism in a Co(II)-based interfacial co-ordination thin film

Herein, a Co(ii)-based metallo-polymer (Co-tpy-L) with a three armed non-conjugated terpyridine ligand is synthesized using solvent-solvent interfacial polymerization. The thin film exhibits durable transmissive-to-blackish green electrochromism, selectively covering both the visible and NIR regions with a moderate voltage range of -1.4 to 0 V.

Ru(II)-Based Metallo-Supramolecular Polymer with Tetrakis(N-methylbenzimidazolyl)bipyridine for a Durable, Nonvolatile, and Electrochromic Device Driven at 0.6 V

Low-voltage operation, high durability, and long memory time are demanded for electrochromic (EC) display device applications. Metallo-supramolecular polymers (MSPs), composed of a metal ion and ditopic ligand, are one of the recently developed EC materials, and the ligand modification is expected to tune the redox potential of MSP. In order to lower the redox potential of MSP, tetrakis(N-methylbenzimidazolyl)bipyridine (L_Bip) was designed as an electronically rich ligand. Ru-based MSP (polyRu-L_Bip) was successfully synthesized by 1:1 complexation of RuCl₂(DMSO)₄ with L_Bip. The molecular weight (M_w) was high (8.8 × 10⁶ Da) enough to provide a simple ¹H NMR spectrum, of which the proton peaks could be assigned by the comparison with the spectrum of the corresponding mono-Ru complex. The redox potential (E_1/2) between Ru(II/III) was 0.51 V versus Ag/Ag⁺, which was much lower than the redox potential of previously reported Ru-based MSP with bis(terpyridyl)benzene (0.95 V vs Ag/Ag⁺). The polymer film exhibited reversible, distinct color changes between violet and light green-yellow upon applying very low potentials of 0 and 0.6 V vs Ag/Ag⁺, respectively. The appearance and disappearance of the metal-to-ligand charge transfer absorption by the electrochemical redox between Ru(II/III) were confirmed using in situ spectro-electrochemical measurement. A solid-state EC device with polyRu-L_Bip was revealed to have large optical contrast (ΔT 54%), fast response time (1.37 s for bleaching and 0.67 s for coloration), remarkable coloration efficiency (571 cm²/C), and high durability for the repeated color changes more than 20,000 cycles. The device also showed a long optical memory time of up to 19 h to maintain 40% to the initial contrast under the open circuit conditions. It is considered that the stabilization of the Ru(III) state by L_Bip suppressed the self-coloring to Ru(II) inside the device.

Ligand-Controlled Electrochromic Diversification with Multilayer Coated Metallosupramolecular Polymer Assemblies

Designing surface-confined molecular systems capable of expressing changes in functional properties as a result of slight variations in chemical structure under the influence of an external stimulus is of contemporary interest. In this context, we have designed three tetraterpyridine ligands with variations in their core architecture (phenyl vs tetraphenylethynyl vs bithiophene) to create spray-coated electrochromic assemblies of iron(II)-based metallosupramolecular polymer network films on transparent conducting oxide substrates. These assemblies exhibited molecular permeability and spectroelectrochemical properties that are in turn dictated by the ligand structure. Electrochromic films with high coloration efficiencies (up to 1050 cm²/C) and superior optical contrast (up to 76%) with a concomitant color-to-color redox transition were readily achieved. These functional switching elements were integrated into sandwich-type electrochromic cells (CE up to 641 cm²/C) that exhibited high contrast ratios of up to 56%, with attractive ON-OFF ratios, fast switching kinetics, and high operational stability. Every measurable spectroelectrochemical property of the films and devices is an associated function of the ligand structure that coordinates the same metal ion to different extents. While exhibiting a ligand-structure induced differential metal coordination leading to porosity and spectroelectrochemical diversification, these assemblies allow the creation of electrochromic patterns and images by a simple spray-coating technique.

Polyoxotungstate-based nanocomposite films with multi-color change and high volumetric capacitance toward electrochromic energy-storage applications

A facile fabrication strategy is proposed to construct a POMs-based nanocomposite film. It realizes multi-color transition during charging and discharging process, thereby links electrochromic behavior with energy storage performance.

Yellow-to-brown and yellow-to-green electrochromic devices based on complexes of transition metal ions with a triphenylamine-based ligand

Transmissive-to-colored electrochromism has been achieved by combination of MLCT of transition metal complexes with the electrochromic properties of ligand molecules. The color transitions were from yellow to dark brown for the Fe(ii) complex, yellow to orange to bluish-green for the Co(ii) complex and yellow to green for the Zn(ii) complex. By using a metal ion-ligand coordination approach, the self-assembly of hydrazone-based ligands containing a triphenylamine group with appropriate metal salts (FeCl2, Co(ClO4)2 and Zn(BF4)2) produced novel complexes of the general formula [ML2]X2. The isolated complexes were characterized by spectroscopic methods, and the Co(ii) complex also by X-ray diffraction analysis. Thin films of the complexes have been obtained by a spray-coating method and they were used in the construction of electrochromic devices, which showed good electrochromic stability, a high color contrast of 47.5% for Fe(ii), 37.2% for Co(ii) and 33.7% for Zn(ii) complexes and fast coloring and bleaching times.

Bis(terpyridine) Iron(II) Functionalized Vertically-Oriented Nanostructured Silica Films: Toward Electrochromic Materials

Recent and potential applications of electrochromic materials include smart windows, optoelectronic devices, and energy conversion. In this study, we have incorporated bis(terpyridine) iron (II) complexes into vertically-oriented silica thin films deposited on indium-tin oxide (ITO) and their electrochromic behavior has been investigated. If 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine is commonly used as a ligand for forming metallo-supramolecular assemblies, with the objective to get metal-terpyridine complexes with multiple stable redox states, their simple and reliable arrangement into linear structures enabling effective electronic communication is however more challenging. We propose to overcome this difficulty by generating such complexes within vertical nanochannels on electrode. Terpyridine ligands were firstly immobilized by combining a click chemistry azide/alkyne approach with an electrochemically-assisted self-assembly (EASA) method used to grow an oriented mesoporous silica membrane bearing azide groups which were further derivatized with 4′-ethynyl-terpyridine ligands. The resulting terpyridine-functionalized films were consecutively dipped in an aqueous solution of Fe(BF₄)₂ and then in a solution of terpyridine in acetonitrile to form the bis(terpyridine) iron (II) complexes in situ. The electrochromic properties of the films functionalized at various levels were examined by monitoring the changes in their UV/Vis spectra upon electrochemical oxidation at controlled potential of +1.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Due to facile charge delocalization during the Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ redox process, the bis(terpyridine) iron (II) functionalized silica films exhibited electrochromic properties by changing from violet to non-colored using TBABF₄ in acetonitrile as an electrolyte. The bis(terpyridine) iron(II) film experienced reversible electrochromic switching by applying +0.5 V in a reverse reduction electrochemical process. The Fe(tpy)₂-functionalized silica thin films displayed a good contrast ratio (ΔT%) of 47% and relatively high coloration efficiency (CE) of about 245 cm²/C with a response time of coloring and bleaching of a few seconds (< 4 s).

Changes in the absorption spectra and colour of tetraphenylporphyrins after redox reactions

In this study, we have investigated the electrochromic properties including the change in absorption spectra and colour after oxidation and reduction reactions of tetraphenylporphyrin and its metal complexes in dichloromethane. The first oxidation potential is determined from CV measurements, and the reduction potential is estimated from comparison with literature values. Electrolytic reactions are carried out by applying the oxidation potential and reduction potential to each sample solution. The metals used are Ag(II), Cu(II), Fe(III), Mg(II), Mn(III), Ni(II) and Zn(II). Various colours can be expressed after the redox reactions by changing the central metal.

Quasi-Solid-State Electrochromic Cells with Energy Storage Properties Made with Inkjet Printing

In common commercially available electrochromic glass panes, the active materials such as WO₃ and NiO_x films are typically deposited by either physical vapor or sputtering under vacuum. In the present studies, we report on the inkjet printing method to deposit both electrochromic and ion storage electrode layers under ambient conditions. An ion storage layer based on cerium modified TiO₂ and electrochromic nanocrystalline WO₃ were both prepared under the wet method and deposited as inks on conductive substrates. Both compounds possess porous morphology facilitating high ion diffusion during electrochemical processes. In particular, the ion storage layer was evaluated in terms of porosity, charge capacity and ion diffusion coefficient. A scaled up 90 cm² electrochromic device with quasi-solid-state electrolyte was made with the aforementioned materials and evaluated in terms of optical modulation in the visible region, cyclic voltammetry and color efficiency. High contrast between 13.2% and 71.6% for tinted and bleached states measured at 550 nm was monitored under low bias at +2.5 volt and −0.3 volts respectively. Moreover, the calculated energy density equal to 1.95 × 10⁻³ mWh cm⁻² and the high areal capacitance of 156.19 mF cm⁻² of the device could combine the electrochromic behavior of the cell with energy storage capability so as to be a promising candidate for future applications into smart buildings.

New chalcone-substituted metallophthalocyanines: Synthesis, characterization, and investigation of their properties

The synthesis of novel metallophthalocyanines (M = Zn, Mg, and Co) derived from ( E)-3-(3-bromophenyl)-1-(3-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one and ( E)-3-(3-fluorophenyl)-1-(3-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one is achieved. These complexes and the synthesized novel phthalonitrile derivatives are characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, UV-Vis, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The aggregation properties of the metallophthalocyanines ZnPc, MgPc, and CoPc are investigated in different solvents and at different concentrations in dimethyl formamide. The electrochemical behavior is also investigated. The cyclic voltammograms give one oxidation reaction for all the bromo-derived metallophthalocyanines and one reduction reaction for all the fluoro-derived metallophthalocyanines. Fe3+, Cd2+, Hg2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Co2+ ions are titrated fluorometrically with the phthalocyanines. The bromo- and fluoro-substituted phthalocyanine compounds show different effects on the metal ion titrations.

A fast-switching electrochromic device with a surface-confined 3D metallo-organic coordination assembly

Demonstrated herein is a fast (<1 s)-switching solid-state electrochromic device (t = 0.49 s for coloration and 0.90 s for bleaching), fabricated with a novel imidazolium-linked [Fe(terpyridine)2]2+ chromophore-based surface-confined three dimensional metallo-organic coordination assembly. The device also exhibits promising electrochromic attributes such as high coloration efficiency (η = 275 cm2 C-1), moderate operating voltage (from -2 V to +3.2 V) and transmittance contrast (ΔT = 40%), and high cycling stability (up to 4500 cycles).

Photophysical and electrochemical properties of newly synthesized thioxathone–viologen binary derivatives and their photo-/electrochromic displays in ionic liquids and polymer gels

Photo- and electrochromic devices based on thioxathone–viologen derivatives were constructed in ionic liquid and gels, which displayed a good transmittance and reversible colour change behaviour under visible light radiation or a bias of −2.4 V.

Multidentate Anchors for Surface Functionalization

The bottom-up functionalization of solid surfaces shows increasing importance for a wide range of interdisciplinary applications. Multidentate anchors with more than two contact points can bind to solid surfaces with strong chemisorption, well-defined upright configuration, and tailored functionality. The surface functionalization using multidentate anchors with three (tripodal), four (quadripodal), or more binding points is summarized herein, with a focus on those beyond classical tripodal anchors. In particular, the molecular design on how to achieve multisite interaction between anchor and substrate and the introduction of functional groups to thin films are discussed.

The first example of an asymmetrical μ-oxo bridged dinuclear iron complex with a terpyridine ligand

The reaction of Fe(iii) ions with a terpyridine ligand L in the presence of chlorides and independent of conditions results in the formation of μ-oxo bridged dinuclear [FeLCl(μ-O)FeCl₃] and the mononuclear complex [FeLCl₂].

A 3D electropolymerized thin film based on a thiophene-functionalized Ru(ii) complex: electrochemical and photoelectrochemical insights

A 3D electropolymerized Ru(ii) complex film exhibited a rapid redox reaction and an oxygen reduction enhanced photocurrent which increased by 1.5 fold to 2.3 μA cm⁻².