Multicolor electrochromic and pH-sensitive nanocomposite thin film based on polyoxometalates and polyviologen

Efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to ethanol through the proton coupled electron transfer process of PVnMo(12-n) (n = 1, 2, 3) over indium electrode

The multistep proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) processes are beneficial for products distribution and selectivity of the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), which are affected by the nature of the catalyst and electrolyte at electrode-electrolyte interface. Polyoxometalates (POMs) are electron regulators of PCET processes, which can catalyze CO2RR effectively. Accordingly, the commercial indium electrodes are combined in this work with a series of Keggin-type POMs (PVnMo(12-n)O40)(n+3)-, n = 1, 2, 3) to process CO2RR with Faradaic efficiency toward ethanol reaching 93.4% at -0.3 V (vs. RHE). The cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results reveal the activation of CO2 molecules by the first PCET process of the VⅤ/Ⅳ in POM. Subsequently, the PCET process of MoⅥ/Ⅴ results the oxidation of the electrode, causing the loss of In0 active sites. Electrochemical in-situ infrared spectroscopy confirms the weak adsorption of *CO at the later stage of electrolysis due to the oxidation of the In0 active sites. The indium electrode in PV3Mo9 system retains more In0 active sites owing to the highest V-substitution ratio, thereby ensuring a high adsorption ratio of *CO and CC coupling. In sum, the regulation of the interface microenvironment by POM electrolyte additives can be used to boost the performance of CO2RR.

Layer-by-Layer Materials for the Fabrication of Devices with Electrochemical Applications

The construction of nanostructured materials for their application in electrochemical processes, e.g., energy storage and conversion, or sensing, has undergone a spectacular development over the last decades as a consequence of their unique properties in comparison to those of their bulk counterparts, e.g., large surface area and facilitated charge/mass transport pathways. This has driven strong research on the optimization of nanostructured materials for the fabrication of electrochemical devices, which demands techniques allowing the assembly of hybrid materials with well-controlled structures and properties. The Layer-by-Layer (LbL) method is well suited for fulfilling the requirements associated with the fabrication of devices for electrochemical applications, enabling the fabrication of nanomaterials with tunable properties that can be exploited as candidates for their application in fuel cells, batteries, electrochromic devices, solar cells, and sensors. This review provides an updated discussion of some of the most recent advances on the application of the LbL method for the fabrication of nanomaterials that can be exploited in the design of novel electrochemical devices.

Polyoxometalate-based electron transfer modulation for efficient electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction

The electrocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction reaction (CO2RR) involves a variety of electron transfer pathways, resulting in poor reaction selectivity, limiting its use to meet future energy requirements. Polyoxometalates (POMs) can both store and release multiple electrons in the electrochemical process, and this is expected to be an ideal "electron switch" to match with catalytically active species, realize electron transfer modulation and promote the activity and selectivity of the electrocatalytic CO2RR. Herein, we report a series of new POM-based manganese-carbonyl (MnL) composite CO2 reduction electrocatalysts, whereby SiW12-MnL exhibits the most remarkable activity and selectivity for CO2RR to CO, resulting in an increase in the faradaic efficiency (FE) from 65% (MnL) to a record-value of 95% in aqueous electrolyte. A series of control electrochemical experiments, photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), transient photovoltage (TPV) experiments, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that POMs act as electronic regulators to control the electron transfer process from POM to MnL units during the electrochemical reaction, enhancing the selectivity of the CO2RR to CO and depressing the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This work demonstrates the significance of electron transfer modulation in the CO2RR and suggests a new idea for the design of efficient electrocatalysts towards CO2RR.

Viologen-Based Electrochromic Materials: From Small Molecules, Polymers and Composites to Their Applications

Organic materials have gained considerable attention for electrochromic (EC) applications owing to improved EC performance and good processability. As a class of well-recognized organic EC materials, viologens have received persistent attention due to the structural versatility and property tunability, and are major active EC components for most of the marketed EC devices. Over the past two decades, extensive efforts have been made to design and synthesize different types of viologen-based materials with enhanced EC properties. This review summarizes chemical structures, preparation and EC properties of various latest viologen-based electrochromes, including small viologen derivatives, main-chain viologen-based polymers, conjugated polymers with viologen side-chains and viologen-based organic/inorganic composites. The performance enhancement mechanisms are concisely discussed. The current marketed viologens-based electrochromic devices (ECDs) are briefly introduced and an outlook on the challenges and future exploration directions for viologen-based materials and their ECDs are also proposed.

Electrochromic Sensors Based on Conducting Polymers, Metal Oxides, and Coordination Complexes

Electrochromic sensors offer multi-mode registration of analytical signal based on combination of electrochemical and optical techniques. This emerging direction of analytical chemistry is relatively new; therefore, it has very high potential for various applications in chemical and biochemical analysis. Properties of sensors based on various electrochromic materials such as polymers, polymer derivatives, polymer composites, metal oxides, metal oxide complexes, phthalocyanines, porphyrins, and dyes are critically overviewed, evaluated, and compared. The most promising directions in analytical application of electrochromic polymers are highlighted.

Crystal Engineering in Supramolecular Polyoxometalate Hybrids through pH Controlled in Situ Ligand Hydrolysis

A family of five different three-dimensional polyoxometalate (POM) based supramolecular hybrids were synthesized by a hydrothermal route under different pH using a hydrolyzable naphthalene diimide ligand. The mechanism of crystallographic phase variation of the POM-amino pyridine hybrids under different pH was studied through controlled experiments where the final hydrolyzed products were analyzed through NMR and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Different pH conditions led to variation in the extent of protonation and hydrolyzation of the ligand, yielding different phases. All of these were identified, and the structures of the supramolecular hybrids were characterized extensively. Mechanistic study proved that only the reaction conditions are responsible for the hydrolysis of the ligand and the in situ generated POM species do not have any role in it. Magnetic measurements confirmed the hexavalent oxidation states of the transition metal center (Mo) in the POM. Optical band gap measurements revealed that these hybrids are semiconducting in nature. Two of the compounds were studied for hydrogen peroxide mediated selective oxidation catalysis of small organic molecules and found to exhibit very good activity with high percentage of selectivity for the desired products of industrial importance.

Ionic Liquid-Derived Imidazolium Cation Linkers for the Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Polyoxometalate-MWCNT Composite Electrodes with High Power Capability

Imidazolium cations derived from ionic liquids were demonstrated as effective linker molecules for the layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition of polyoxometalates (POMs) to increase the charge storage of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) electrodes. MWCNTs modified with GeMo12O40(4-) (GeMo12) via an imidazolium cation linker demonstrated highly reversible redox reactions and a capacitance of 84 F cm(-3), close to 4 times larger than bare CNT. Compared to CNT-GeMo12 composites fabricated with a conventional polyelectrolyte linker poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), (PDDA), the imidazolium cations resulted in lower POM loading, but higher conductivity and in turn superior performance at fast charge-discharge conditions. A polymerized imidazolium linker (PIL) was also synthesized based on the ethyl-vinyl-imidazolium monomer. CNT-GeMo12 composites fabricated with this PIL achieved high POM loading comparable to PDDA, while still maintaining the good conductivity and high rate capabilities shown by the monomer imidazolium units. The high conductivity imparted by the PIL is especially valuable for the fabrication of multilayer POM composites. Dual-layer GeMo12 O40(4-)-SiMo12O40(4-) (GeMo12-SiMo12) electrodes built with this PIL demonstrated a combined contribution of the individual POMs resulting in a capacitance of 191 F cm(-3), over nine times larger than bare MWCNT. The PIL dual layer composites also maintained 72% of this capacitance at a fast rate of 2 V s(-1), compared to just over 50% retention for similar electrodes fabricated with PDDA.

Multicolor Electrochromics: Rainbow-Like Devices

Stimuli-responsive reversible coloration-change materials represent a highly demanded type of smart systems useful for a wide variety of applications, with a significant growing interest in multicolor abilities. In particular, electrochromic materials have received a great deal of attention due to their versatility and broad range of industrial uses. However, most of the existing electrochromic technologies provide a single coloration, while achieving multiple colors based on simple approaches remains a challenge. The present article reports on PVA gel-based electrochromic devices, containing a single viologen, providing a colorless and two different well-defined colored states. The successful fabrication of a device, based on two viologens (multi-EC gel) with a simple architecture (glass/TCO/multi-EC gel/TCO/glass), with five different multiswitchable colors based on four-zoned electrodes (rainbow-like ECD) is also demonstrated. This novel easy-to-make multichromic system represents a significant breakthrough toward the generation of full-color devices, expanding the potential of electrochromic technology.

Vanadium substituted Keggin-type POM-based electrochromic films showing high performance in a Li+-based neutral non-aqueous electrolyte

Vanadium substituted Keggin type POM-based electrochromic films show high performance in LiClO₄-based non-aqueous electrolyte. The use of the neutral non-aqueous electrolyte makes it easy to fabricate a device.

Magnetochromatic microactuators for a micropixellated color-changing surface

A magnetically tunable chromatic nanocomposite microactuator is proposed, which utilizes the optical and magnetic behaviors of self-assembled super-paramagnetic nanoparticles fixed in a polymeric microstructure. The original color can be programmed during a simple photolithography process, and the color can be changed just by applying and changing an external magnetic field. These microactuators are capable of acting as pixels in a color-changing pattern.

Assembly of a magnetic polyoxometalate on SWNTs

Recently, the organisation of magnetic molecules on carbon nanotubes has raised much interest due to their possible interesting contribution to molecular spintronics. In this paper, we describe the assembly on SWNTs of a magnetic polyoxometalate encompassing a single cobalt ion (CoPOM) and its isostructural diamagnetic zinc analogue (ZnPOM). The simple magnetic behaviour of CoPOM and the availability of its diamagnetic counterpart render these POM@NTs systems interesting model compounds for the study of molecular electronics devices based on carbon nanotubes and magnetic molecules. The success and rate of the grafting have been investigated by electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, Raman scattering and magnetisation measurements. These characterisations altogether demonstrate the preservation of the structural and magnetic properties of the molecules upon functionalisation and the existence of an electronic communication between the molecules and the nanotubes.

Preparation and characterization of Langmuir-Blodgett films of wheel-shaped Cu-20 tungstophosphate and DODA by two different strategies

A novel surfactant-encapsulated organic-inorganic hybrid compound (DODA)(24)Li[Cu(20)Cl(OH)(24)(P(8)W(48)O(184))] x 18 H(2)O (DODA-Cu20) has been prepared from the wheel-shaped tungstophosphate salt K(12)Li(13)[Cu(20)Cl(OH)(24)(H(2)O)(12)(P(8)W(48)O(184))] x 22 H(2)O (Cu20) and dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DODA), and it has been characterized by elemental analysis (EA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), (1)H NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Monolayer and multilayer films of DODA-Cu20 were fabricated on different substrates by the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique using H(2)O as the subphase. Another type of organic-inorganic hybrid film, DODA/Cu20, was also deposited on the same substrates as used for the film containing DODA-Cu20 under the same conditions by the LB technique using a Cu20 aqueous solution as the subphase and DODA as the cationic amphiphile for comparison. Both thus-prepared organic-inorganic hybrid films were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, XRD, transmission and polarized FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results indicate that stable monolayers at the air-water interface for DODA-Cu20 and at the air-Cu20 solution interface for DODA can be formed and that two LB films containing DODA-Cu20 and DODA/Cu20 constructed by two different methods both exhibit well-ordered lamellar structures. It is proposed that Cu20 exhibits different packing modes in the two LB films depending on the deposition strategy used.