Various embodiments herein relate to electrochromic devices and electrochromic device precursors, as well as methods and apparatus for fabricating such electrochromic devices and electrochromic device precursors. In certain embodiments, the electrochromic device or precursor may include one or more particular materials such as a particular electrochromic material and/or a particular counter electrode material. In various implementations, the electrochromic material includes tungsten titanium molybdenum oxide. In these or other implementation, the counter electrode material may include nickel tungsten oxide, nickel tungsten tantalum oxide, nickel tungsten niobium oxide, nickel tungsten tin oxide, or another material.

An article including an optically transparent, superomniphobic coating that is durable and relatively easy to keep clean, is disclosed. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an article comprising a substrate and a graded layer, the graded layer having a first side disposed adjacent the substrate, the first side comprising 45-85 wt. % silicon oxide in a first glass phase and 10-40 wt. % boron oxide in a second glass phase, and opposed the first side, a second side comprising at least 45 wt. % silicon oxide, no more than 5 wt. % boron oxide, and 10-50 wt. % aerogel, the aerogel present in the graded layer as a plurality of distinct domains.

A method for preparing an optically transparent, superomniphobic coating on a substrate, such as an optical substrate, is disclosed. The method includes providing a glass layer disposed on a substrate, the glass layer having a first side adjacent the substrate and an opposed second side, the glass layer comprising 45-85 wt. % silicon oxide in a first glass phase and 10-40 wt. % boron oxide in a second glass phase, such that a glass layer has a composition in a spinodal decomposition region. The method further includes heating the second side of the glass layer to form a phase-separated portion of the layer, the phase-separated portion comprising an interpenetrating network of silicon oxide domains and boron oxide domains, and removing at least a portion of the boron oxide domains from the phase-separated portion to provide a graded layer disposed on the substrate. The graded layer has a first side disposed adjacent the substrate, the first side comprising 45-85 wt. % silicon oxide and 10-40 wt. % boron oxide, and opposite the first side, a porous second side comprising at least 45 wt. % silicon oxide and no more than 5 wt. % boron oxide.

An article including an optically transparent, superomniphobic coating that is durable and relatively easy to keep clean, is disclosed. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an article comprising a substrate and a graded layer, the graded layer having a first side disposed adjacent the substrate, the first side comprising 45-85 wt. % silicon oxide in a first glass phase and 10-40 wt. % boron oxide in a second glass phase, and opposed the first side, a second side comprising at least 45 wt. % silicon oxide, no more than 5 wt. % boron oxide, and 10-50 wt. % aerogel, the aerogel present in the graded layer as a plurality of distinct domains.

Provided is a laminate that includes a water absorbing layer (B), an antireflective function-imparting layer (C) and a hydrophilic layer (A) provided in this order on a substrate, wherein the hydrophilic layer (A) is formed of a crosslinked resin having an anionic, cationic or nonionic hydrophilic group, and has a gradient of hydrophilic groups (intensity of hydrophilic group on surface of the hydrophilic layer (A)/intensity of hydrophilic group at ½ of thickness of the hydrophilic layer (A)) of not less than 1.1; the water absorbing layer (B) is formed of a crosslinked resin having a water absorption rate per unit mass (g) of in the range of 5 to 500 wt %; and the refractive index of a layer forming the layer (C) satisfies a specific condition. The laminate can provide higher antifogging properties and antireflective properties.

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.

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.

A method of making a coated substrate having a transparent conductive oxide layer with a dopant selectively distributed in the layer includes selectively supplying an oxide precursor material and a dopant precursor material to each coating cell of a multi-cell chemical vapor deposition coater, wherein the amount of dopant material supplied is selected to vary the dopant content versus coating depth in the resultant coating.

Durable and scratch resistant articles including low-reflectance optical coating with gradient portion. In some embodiments, an article comprises: a substrate comprising a first major surface; and an optical coating disposed over the first major surface. The optical coating comprises: a second major surface; a thickness; and a first gradient portion. A refractive index of the optical coating varies along a thickness of the optical coating. The difference between the maximum refractive index of the first gradient portion and the minimum refractive index of the first gradient portion is 0.05 or greater. The absolute value of the slope of the refractive index of the first gradient portion is 0.1/nm or less everywhere along the thickness of the first gradient portion. The article exhibits a single side photopic average light reflectance of 3% or less, and a maximum hardness from 10 GPa to 30 GPa.

A solar glass is specified. In an embodiment a solar glass includes a glass substrate and a layer system arranged on the glass substrate, wherein the layer system includes a base layer comprising one or more first dielectric layers, a first silver layer arranged on the base layer, an absorber layer arranged on the first silver layer, the absorber layer comprising a metal or metal alloy, an aluminum oxynitride layer arranged on the absorber layer, an intermediate layer arranged on the aluminum oxynitride layer, the intermediate layer comprising one or more second dielectric layers, a second silver layer arranged on the intermediate layer and a cover layer arranged on the second silver layer, the cover layer comprising one or more third dielectric layers, and wherein the absorber layer has a spatially varying thickness, a spatially varying material composition and/or a spatially varying surface coverage density in at least one direction.