Chen X, Zhang H, Li W, Xiao Y, Zhang X, Li Y. CaF
2: A novel electrolyte for all solid-state electrochromic devices.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY 2022;
10:100164. [PMID:
36159735 PMCID:
PMC9488006 DOI:
10.1016/j.ese.2022.100164]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The energy consumption in building ventilation, air, and heating conditioning systems, accounts for about 25% of the overall energy consumption in modern society. Therefore, cutting carbon emissions and reducing energy consumption is a growing priority in building construction. Electrochromic devices (ECDs) are considered to be a highly promising energy-saving technology, due to their simple structure, active control, and low energy input characteristics. At present, H+, OH- and Li+ are the main electrolyte ions used for ECDs. However, H+ and OH- based electrolytes have a high erosive effect on the material surface and have a relatively short lifetime. Li+-based electrolytes are limited due to their high cost and safety concerns. In this study, inspired by prior research on Ca2+ batteries and supercapacitors, CaF2 films were prepared by electron beam evaporation as a Ca2+-based electrolyte layer to construct ECDs. The structure, morphology, and optical properties of CaF2 films were characterized. ECDs with the structure of ITO (indium tin oxide) glass/WO3/CaF2/NiO/ITO show short switching times (22.8 s for the coloring process, 2.8 s for the bleaching process). Additionally, optical modulation of the ECDs is about 38.8% at 750 nm. These findings indicate that Ca2+ based ECDs have the potential to become a competitive and attractive choice for large-scale commercial smart windows.
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