An optical device includes a first electrode and a second electrode that have translucency and are disposed facing each other, and an optical adjustment layer that is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The optical adjustment layer includes a first phase that includes an electrolyte including a metal having a visible light reflecting property, and a second phase that is dispersed in the first phase, and includes a variable refractive index material having a refractive index that is variable in a visible light range.

Provided is an electrochromic element including: a support; an electrochromic layer over the support; an electrolyte layer over the support; and a sealant resin layer in contact with the electrochromic layer at longitudinal ends of the electrochromic layer in a layer lamination direction, wherein the electrochromic layer contains a polymerized product of an oxidatively color-developable electrochromic composition containing a radical-polymerizable compound, and the sealant resin layer contains a thermosetting material.

Provided is an electrochromic element including: a first electrode; a second electrode apart from and opposite to the first electrode; an electrolyte layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, containing an oxidizable substance or a reducible substance, or both; and at least one of an oxidizable electrochromic layer between the first electrode and the electrolyte layer, containing an oxidizable electrochromic compound, and a reducible electrochromic layer between the second electrode and the electrolyte layer, containing a reducible electrochromic compound, wherein an oxidation potential of the oxidizable substance is nobler than an oxidation potential of the oxidizable electrochromic compound, a reduction potential of the reducible substance is baser than a reduction potential of the reducible electrochromic compound, an oxidation reaction of the oxidizable substance is irreversible, and a reduction reaction of the reducible substance is irreversible.

An electrochromic element is provided that includes a first substrate and a second substrate that are arranged to oppose each other, a first transparent electrode that is formed on a surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate, a second transparent electrode that is formed on a surface of the second substrate facing the first substrate, and a coloration layer that is arranged between the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode. The coloration layer includes an electrochromic material and an electrolyte, and a pattern or a concentration gradient of the electrochromic material is formed in at least a part of the coloration layer.

An electrochemical device is disclosed. The electrochemical device includes a first transparent conductive layer, an electrochromic layer overlying the first transparent conductive layer, a counter electrode layer overlying the electrochromic layer, a second transparent conductive layer, and a switching speed parameter of not greater than 0.68 s/mm at 23° C.

Conventional electrochromic devices frequently suffer from poor reliability and poor performance. Improvements are made using entirely solid and inorganic materials. Electrochromic devices are fabricated by forming an ion conducting electronically-insulating interfacial region that serves as an IC layer. In some methods, the interfacial region is formed after formation of an electrochromic and a counter electrode layer. The interfacial region contains an ion conducting electronically-insulating material along with components of the electrochromic and/or the counter electrode layer. Materials and microstructure of the electrochromic devices provide improvements in performance and reliability over conventional devices. In various embodiments, a counter electrode is fabricated to include a base anodically coloring material and one or more additives.

An electrochromic structure is disclosed, which includes a first transparent non-conductive (GLASS-I) layer, a first transparent conductor (CONDUCTOR-I) layer coupled to the GLASS-I layer, an ion storage layer coupled to the CONDUCTOR-I layer, an electrolyte layer coupled to the ion storage layer, an electrochromic layer coupled to the electrolyte layer, a second transparent conductor (CONDUCTOR-II) layer coupled to the electrochromic layer, and a second transparent non-conductive (GLASS-II) layer coupled to the CONDUCTOR-II layer, wherein the electrochromic layer includes perovskite nickelates thin films formed on a transparent conductive film substrate and which has crystalline grains of the size of about 5 nm to about 200 nm resulting in intergranular porosity of about 5% to about 25%.

Disclosed herein are electrolyte bismuth calcium ferrites having high oxygen vacancy ion mobility. There can be provided an oxygen vacancy electrolyte material including bismuth calcium ferrites (Bi.sub.1-xCa.sub.xFeO.sub.3-δ).

The present invention relates to a composite having exceptional heat resistance and durability that exhibits quick response characteristics when used in an electrochromic device; an electrochromic device in which the composite is used; and a method for producing said composite and device. This composite contains an organic/metallic hybrid polymer that contains an organic ligand and a metal ion coordinated to the organic ligand, and an ionic liquid. The organic/metallic hybrid polymer forms ionic bonds with the ionic liquid. This electrochromic device comprises a first electrode, an electrochromic layer containing the composite, an electrolyte layer, and a second electrode.

An electrochromic device includes an electrochromic element 110 including an anode electrode 2a, a cathode electrode 2b, and an electrochromic layer 4, and drive means 120 connected to the electrochromic element. The electrochromic element 110 includes a plurality of anode terminals (A1, A2) electrically connected to the anode electrode 2a, and a plurality of cathode terminals (C1, C2) electrically connected to the cathode electrode 2b, and each of the anode terminals constitutes a terminal pair in combination with one of the cathode terminals. At least part of a first application period in which the drive means 120 applies a voltage to a first terminal pair that is one of the terminal pairs and at least part of a second application period in which the drive means 120 applies a voltage to a second terminal pair that is another one of the terminal pairs are not overlapped with each other.