Interlinked polyaniline nanostructure for enhanced electrochromic performance

Abstract An optimized, facile and low-cost approach has been applied to fabricate a prototype electrochromic device. For this purpose, an ionic liquid (IL) i.e. 1-(4-Vinylbenzyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride [VBMIM]Cl has been doped into conducting polymer (polyaniline (PANI)) by electrochemical polymerization on FTO substrate. The structural, morphological and optical characterizations of the electrochromic (EC) electrodes have been studied by using FT-IR, NMR, XRD, FESEM, and UV–vis spectroscopic techniques. The EC electrodes showed multiple reversible colour changes from dark to light green appearance via electrochemical measurement. The EC electrodes with an optimum concentration of the IL show efficient bleaching (tb) and colouring time (tc) as compared to the other electrodes. The EC-2 electrode was selected to fabricate a portable ECD. The cyclic stability of the EC-2 electrode was durable-maintaining almost its original electroactivity after the performance of multiple cycles. The portable ECDs are expected to be a good candidate for smart displays and intelligent windows applications.