A free-standing polymer electrolyte for an electrochromic device includes a polymer network, a plasticizer and an electrolyte salt containing at least one of lithium or sodium ions. The free-standing polymer electrolyte may exclude tetraglyme.

The use of materially-asymmetric electrodes in an electro-chromic (EC) cell having a single active layer that employs a water-based gel electrolytic material solves a problem that is exhibited during operation of conventionally-structured devices and that is caused by electrolysis of water in the gel and formation of gas bubbles inside the conventionally-structured devices, thereby substantially increasing the number of operational cycles such devices can be subjected to.

A smart window configured to transition between a substantially transparent state and a dimmed state. The smart window includes a first substantially transparent conductive layer; an ion storage layer on the first substantially transparent conductive layer; an electrolyte layer on a side of the ion storage layer away from the first substantially transparent conductive layer; an electrochromic layer on a side of the electrolyte layer away from the ion storage layer; a second substantially transparent conductive layer on a side of the electrochromic layer away from the electrolyte layer; and an antenna layer configured to receive wireless power transmissions to provide energy for the smart window to transition between the substantially transparent state and the dimmed state. An orthographic projection of the electrochromic layer on the first substantially transparent conductive layer substantially covers an orthographic projection of the antenna layer on the first substantially transparent conductive layer.

The present invention is an electrochromic device which is provided with a first electrode; an electrochromic layer which is disposed on the first electrode, while containing an organic/metal hybrid polymer that contains at least an organic ligand and a metal ion to which the organic ligand is coordinated; an electrolyte layer which is disposed on the electrochromic layer; a counter electrode material layer which is disposed on the electrolyte layer and contains a conductive polymer; and a second electrode which is disposed on the counter electrode material layer. The conductive polymer may be at least one polymer that is selected from the group consisting of polypyrroles, polyanilines, polythiophenes, poly(p-phenylene)s, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate)s (PEDOT:PSS), polyfluorenes, poly(p-phenylenevinylene)s, polythienylenevinylenes and organic/metal hybrid polymers.

A phase transformation electronic device comprises: a first conductive layer; a second conductive layer opposite to and spaced from the first conductive layer; a phase transformation material layer disposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, wherein the phase transformation material layer is formed by a hydrogen-containing transition metal oxide having a structural formula of ABO.sub.xH.sub.y, wherein A is one or more of alkaline earth metal elements and rare-earth metal elements, B is one or more of transition metal elements, x is a numeric value in a range of 1 to 3, and y is a numeric value in a range of 0 to 2.5; and an ionic liquid layer disposed between the phase transformation material layer and the first conductive layer, wherein the ionic liquid layer is capable of providing hydrogen ions and oxygen ions.

An inorganic solid-state electrochromic module containing an inorganic transparent conductive film, including a transparent substrate and a first transparent conductive layer, a first transparent metal layer, a first transparent protective layer, an inorganic electrochromic layer, an inorganic ion conductive layer, an inorganic ion storage layer, a second transparent metal layer, a second transparent protective layer, a second transparent conductive layer, a encapsulating film and a transparent front plate successively formed on the transparent substrate.

An apparatus including a substrate with at least three sides and an active stack on the substrate. The active stack can include a first transparent conductive layer, a second transparent conductive layer, an anodic electrochemical layer, and a cathodic electrochemical layer. The apparatus can also include a first bus bar set comprising a plurality of bus bars, wherein each bus bar of the first bus bar set is electrically coupled to the first transparent conductive layer, a second bus bar set comprising a plurality of bus bars, wherein each bus bar of the second bus bar set is electrically coupled to the second transparent conductive layer, and a bus bar arrangement wherein the bus bar arrangement comprises a bus bar from the first bus bar set and a bus bar from the second bus bar set on at least three sides of the substrate.

Prior electrochromic devices frequently suffer from high levels of defectivity. The defects may be manifest as pin holes or spots where the electrochromic transition is impaired. This is unacceptable for many applications such as electrochromic architectural glass. Improved electrochromic devices with low defectivity can be fabricated by depositing certain layered components of the electrochromic device in a single integrated deposition system. While these layers are being deposited and/or treated on a substrate, for example a glass window, the substrate never leaves a controlled ambient environment, for example a low pressure controlled atmosphere having very low levels of particles. These layers may be deposited using physical vapor deposition.

An electrochromic device is provided in which resistance of a bus bar is reduced. This devices includes: a pair of base members; a pair of electrodes arranged between the pair of base members; an electrochromic layer arranged between the pair of electrodes; and at least one bus bar electrically connected to one of the pair of electrodes.

An system includes an optical element including a glazing-function substrate and an electrochromic stack formed on this substrate, this electrochromic stack including a first transparent conductive layer, a working electrode arranged above the first transparent conductive layer, a counter-electrode arranged above said working electrode, a second transparent conductive layer arranged above the counter-electrode, lithium ions introduced into the electrochromic stack, and optionally a separate layer of an ionic conductor, the latter layer being intermediate between the electrode and the counter-electrode, a protective layer arranged on the electrochromic stack, the protective layer including an inorganic lubricating compound.