Tunable Interaction between Zn<sup>2+</sup> and Superstructured Nb<sub>18</sub>W<sub>16</sub>O<sub>93</sub> Bimetallic Oxide for Multistep Tinted Electrochromic Device
Ruirui Ren, Shiyou Liu, Yi Gao, Pengyang Lei, Jinhui Wang, Xingrui Tong, Ping Zhang, Zhuanpei Wang, Guofa Cai
Abstract
Electrochromic devices (ECDs) present promising prospects in developing energy-saving applications, such as smart windows, antiglare mirrors, and information displays. Here, for the first time, we develop a multistep strategy to improve the electrochromic performance by fully using the adsorption/desorption, insertion/extraction, and reversible electrodeposition of Zn 2+ within the ECD based on the specific crystal superstructured Nb 18 W 16 O 93 film. The synergistic electrochemical process based on the Zn 2+ enables comprehensive enhancement of the electrochromic performance, such as large and broad optical modulation up to 87.0%, 96.2%, and 92.8% at 400, 633, and 1200 nm, respectively, remarkable cycling stability of 3500 cycles, and high coloration efficiency of 72.4 cm 2 C –1 . Furthermore, the assembled device delivers outstanding performance in wide-band and large optical modulation in response to a change in voltage. We believe that our multistep regulation in one device could provide a new strategy for developing high-performance ECDs and shed new light on exploring next-generation ECDs in the future.