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Fabrication of an Automatic Color-Tuned System with Flexibility Using a Dry Deposited Photoanode

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Abstract

A self-powered electrochromic device was fabricated on an indium tin oxide-polyethylene naphthalate flexible substrate using a dyesensitized solar cell (DSSC) as a self-harvesting source; the electrochromic device was naturally bleached and operated under outdoor light conditions. The color of the organic electrochromic polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate, was shifted from pale blue to deep blue with an antimony tin oxide film as a charge-balanced material. Electrochromic performance was enhanced by secondary doping using dimethyl sulfoxide. As a result, the device showed stable switching behavior with a high transmittance change difference of 40% at its specific wavelength of 630 nm for 6 hrs. To improve the efficiency of the solar cell, 1.0 wt.% of Ag NWs in the photoanode was applied to the TiO2 photoanode. It resulted in an efficiency of 3.3%, leading to an operating voltage of 0.7 V under xenon lamp conditions. As a result, we built a standalone self-harvesting electrochromic system with the performance of transmittance switching of 29% at 630 nm, by connecting with two solar cells in a device. Thus, a self-harvesting and flexible device was fabricated to operate automatically under the irradiated/dark conditions.

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Correspondence to Caroline Sunyong Lee.

Additional information

Dahyun Choi Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University. Her research interest is Dye sensitized solar cell & Electrochromic device.

Yoonchan Park M.S degree in the Department of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University. His research interest is the aerosol deposition method.

Minji Lee M.S degree in the Department of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University. Her research interest is Dye sensitized solar cell & Electrochromic device.

Kwangmin Kim M.S degree in the Department of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University. His research interest is Electrochromic device。

Jung-Oh Choi Ph.D. degree in School of Mechanical and Aerospace & Institute of Advanced Machinery and Design, Seoul National University. His research interest is process design and development.

Caroline Sunyong Lee Professor in the Department of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University. Her research interest is Multi-functional device, such as Dye sensitized solar cell & Electrochromic device.

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Choi, D., Park, Y., Lee, M. et al. Fabrication of an Automatic Color-Tuned System with Flexibility Using a Dry Deposited Photoanode. Int. J. of Precis. Eng. and Manuf.-Green Tech. 5, 643–650 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40684-018-0067-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40684-018-0067-9

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