A Recyclable and Sustainable Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Electrolyte for Electrochromic Devices
Abstract
ABSTRACT Gel electrolytes, which supply compensating ions for electrochromic reactions and serve as conductive media, are widely used in electrochromic devices (ECDs). However, the complex preparation processes for gel electrolytes often involve the use of large amounts of organic solvents and hazardous or valuable reagents, limiting their widespread adoption in ECDs. This paper presents a straightforward method for fabricating large‐area hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) gel electrolytes using a solution casting technique in an aqueous system. The addition of deep eutectic solvents (DES) and the incorporation of SiO 2 nanoparticles significantly improve the conductivity of the gel electrolytes. The resulting HPMC/DES‐SiO 2 gel electrolyte exhibits high transparency (over 92% transmittance), high ionic conductivity (7.55 × 10 −4 S/cm), wide electrochemical window (±3 V), and outstanding thermal stability. The W 18 O 49 /NiO ECD assembled with HPMC/DES‐SiO 2 gel electrolyte shows excellent cycling stability (maintained 94.8% of initial optical modulation after 1000 cycles) and can perform electrochromic response over a wide temperature range from −50°C to 200°C. Furthermore, the entire HPMC and up to 82.7% of LiTFSI and NMA can be recycled and reprocessed into new gel electrolytes, offering a promising solution for the future development of environmentally friendly and efficient ECDs.
Article Details
Authors (10)
Bang Yu
Fu‐Xing Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Quantum Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sustainable Biomimetic Materials and Green Energy, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sustainable Biomimetic Materials, Institute of Innovative Materials, Guangming Advanced Research Institute Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen China
Yi‐Jian Qian
State Key Laboratory of Quantum Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sustainable Biomimetic Materials and Green Energy, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sustainable Biomimetic Materials, Institute of Innovative Materials, Guangming Advanced Research Institute Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen China
Wei Peng
Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University
Meng‐Han Zhu
State Key Laboratory of Quantum Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sustainable Biomimetic Materials and Green Energy, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sustainable Biomimetic Materials, Institute of Innovative Materials, Guangming Advanced Research Institute Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen China
Chen Chen
Zong‐Ying Huang
State Key Laboratory of Quantum Functional Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sustainable Biomimetic Materials and Green Energy, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sustainable Biomimetic Materials, Institute of Innovative Materials, Guangming Advanced Research Institute Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen China
Si‐Zhe Sheng
Department of Materials Science and Engineering Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen 518055 China
Zhen He
Jin‐Long Wang
Department of Materials Science and Engineering Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen 518055 China