The present invention is directed to eyectrochromic, supercapacitor yarns and the related fabrics. An electrochromic yarn formed by two interwind threads has been invented. The yarn is electrically isolated by a transparent, uncolored polymer. Each thread is the superposition of three concentric layers. The most internal one, the core, has the function of support and/or conductive layer, the second one is the eiectrochromic layer containing conductive nanoparticies, the third layer is a polymer dielectric blend. The yarns described above allows to generate electrochromic fabrics in which the colour can be varied by the application of small electric voltages fed by a battery with variable power supply controlled by a microprocessor connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth technology. A specific application on the smartphone allows to change the voltage supply to the fabrics, in order to get the desired chromatic change.

The present invention is directed to eyectrochromic, supercapacitor yarns and the related fabrics. An electrochromic yarn formed by two interwind threads has been invented. The yarn is electrically isolated by a transparent, uncolored polymer. Each thread is the superposition of three concentric layers. The most internal one, the core, has the function of support and/or conductive layer, the second one is the eiectrochromic layer containing conductive nanoparticies, the third layer is a polymer dielectric blend. The yarns described above allows to generate electrochromic fabrics in which the colour can be varied by the application of small electric voltages fed by a battery with variable power supply controlled by a microprocessor connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth technology. A specific application on the smartphone allows to change the voltage supply to the fabrics, in order to get the desired chromatic change.

An electrochromic device is disclosed. The electrochromic device includes (i) a first substrate with an electrically conductive layer on an inner surface thereof; (ii) a second substrate with an electrically conductive layer on an inner surface thereof; (iii) an electrochromic assembly comprising at least one electrochromic layer; (iv) a first bus bar pair comprising a positive bus bar electrically connected to the electrically conductive layer of the first substrate and a negative bus bar electrically connected to the electrically conductive layer of said second substrate; and (v) a second bus bar pair including a positive bus bar electrically connected to the electrically conductive layer of the first substrate and a negative bus bar electrically connected to the electrically conductive layer of the second substrate. A process for reversibly changing the optical properties of an electrochromic device that includes at least one electrochromic layer is also described.

The invention relates to the manufacturing method of high performance electro-chromic devices containing transition metal oxide based compounds, wherein it comprises the steps of enlarging of the metal contact with Pt (Platinum) (1) sputtering method on one edge of the 80-150 nm thick Indium-Tin oxide alloy (ITO) (2), which was previously enlarged on the glass (3) by the sputter method, growing vertical nano-wall structures at 15-25 mTorr, 300-500° C. substrate temperature and at 3-45 minutes intervals on glass (3) with sputter method, by using transition metal chalcogen targets on previously enlarged ITO (2) with a thickness of 80-150 nm, oxidizing the grown structures in the oxidizing furnace for 10-60 minutes under oxygen gas in the temperature range 300-450° C., preparing the electro-chromic device by placing a counter glass/ITO (80-150 nm) in propylene carbonate (PC) to face 1 Mole/Liter Lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) ion-conducting electrolyte (6) with a 0.5-1 mm distance between them and closing it.

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.

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.

Controllers and control methods apply a drive voltage to bus bars of a thin film optically switchable device. The applied drive voltage is provided at a level that drives a transition over the entire surface of the optically switchable device but does not damage or degrade the device. This applied voltage produces an effective voltage at all locations on the face of the device that is within a bracketed range. The upper bound of this range is associated with a voltage safely below the level at which the device may experience damage or degradation impacting its performance in the short term or the long term. At the lower boundary of this range is an effective voltage at which the transition between optical states of the device occurs relatively rapidly. The level of voltage applied between the bus bars is significantly greater than the maximum value of the effective voltage within the bracketed range.

Controllers and control methods apply a drive voltage to bus bars of a thin film optically switchable device. The applied drive voltage is provided at a level that drives a transition over the entire surface of the optically switchable device but does not damage or degrade the device. This applied voltage produces an effective voltage at all locations on the face of the device that is within a bracketed range. The upper bound of this range is associated with a voltage safely below the level at which the device may experience damage or degradation impacting its performance in the short term or the long term. At the lower boundary of this range is an effective voltage at which the transition between optical states of the device occurs relatively rapidly. The level of voltage applied between the bus bars is significantly greater than the maximum value of the effective voltage within the bracketed range.

A process for manufacturing an electrochromic glazing unit includes forming, on one face of a glass sheet, a complete all-solid-state electrochromic stack including in succession a first layer of a transparent conductive oxide; a layer of a cathodically colored mineral electrochromic material to form an electrochromic electrode; a layer of an ionically conductive mineral solid electrolyte; a layer of a cation intercalation material to form a counter electrode; and a second layer of a transparent conductive oxide; then heat treatment of the complete electrochromic stack by irradiation with radiation having a wavelength comprised between 500 and 2000 nm, the radiation originating from a radiating device placed facing the electrochromic stack, a relative movement being created between the radiating device and the substrate so as to raise the electrochromic stack to a temperature at least equal to 300° C. for a brief duration, for example shorter than 100 milliseconds.

A process for manufacturing an electrochromic glazing unit includes forming, on one face of a glass sheet, a complete all-solid-state electrochromic stack including in succession a first layer of a transparent conductive oxide; a layer of a cathodically colored mineral electrochromic material to form an electrochromic electrode; a layer of an ionically conductive mineral solid electrolyte; a layer of a cation intercalation material to form a counter electrode; and a second layer of a transparent conductive oxide; then heat treatment of the complete electrochromic stack by irradiation with radiation having a wavelength comprised between 500 and 2000 nm, the radiation originating from a radiating device placed facing the electrochromic stack, a relative movement being created between the radiating device and the substrate so as to raise the electrochromic stack to a temperature at least equal to 300° C. for a brief duration, for example shorter than 100 milliseconds.