Electrochromic Element Third Electrode Charge Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrochromic elements face issues with charge imbalance, leading to poor bleaching and deviations in the absorption spectrum, which result in discoloration and increased power consumption due to the use of redox buffers that are more reactive than electrochromic materials.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a third electrode with an irreversibly oxidizable or reducible substance that is not oxidized or reduced by the oxidant or reductant of the electrochromic compounds, allowing for charge rebalance and correction of charge imbalances between display electrodes, thereby maintaining the desired absorption spectrum during coloring and bleaching actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a redox buffer more easily oxidizable/reducible than EC materials is used, then charge imbalance is compensated and residual coloring is suppressed, but power consumption increases and response speed decreases due to unnecessary electric current
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrochemical parameters of the buffer materials by selecting substances with oxidation/reduction potentials closer to those of the EC materials. This adjustment reduces the potential difference that drives unnecessary current flow while maintaining sufficient buffer capacity to correct charge imbalance and suppress residual coloring.
2Reliability
If a redox buffer more easily oxidizable/reducible than EC materials is used, then charge imbalance is compensated, but response speed decreases due to increased reactivity and unnecessary electric current
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the electrochemical parameters by selecting buffer materials whose oxidation/reduction potentials are matched closer to the EC materials. This reduces the driving force for side reactions and unnecessary current flow, thereby improving response speed while maintaining charge balance correction capability.
3Reliability
If charge imbalance occurs in complementary EC element, then coloring ratio of anode/cathode materials deviates from design spectrum, but redox buffer only suppresses residual coloring without correcting charge imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a third electrode as an intermediary component that actively participates in charge balance correction. This third electrode, with appropriately selected buffer materials, mediates the electrochemical reactions to restore charge imbalance between the anode and cathode EC materials, thereby correcting the absorption spectrum to match the design specification.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively reduces poor bleaching and maintains the desired absorption spectrum, improving the response speed and reducing power consumption by correcting charge imbalances and optimizing the ratio of colored bodies in electrochromic elements.
Implementation Method 1
anodic organic electrochromic compound which produces a colored body by oxidation
Implementation Method 2
anodic organic electrochromic compound which produces a colored body by oxidation
Implementation Method 3
cathodic redox substance which produces a colored body by reduction
Implementation Method 4
cathodic redox substance which produces a colored body by reduction
Implementation Method 5
the oxidizable substance is not oxidized by a first oxidant of the anodic organic electrochromic compound but is more easily oxidizable than a reductant in an irreversible oxidation reaction of the anodic organic electrochromic compound
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an electrochromic element that includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is a transparent electrode, and an electrolyte, an anodic organic electrochromic compound, and a cathodic redox substance are present between the first electrode and the second electrode, the third electrode is electrically connectable to the first electrode or the second electrode via the electrolyte, the third electrode contains an irreversibly oxidizable substance, and the oxidizable substance is not oxidized by a first oxidant of the anodic organic electrochromic compound but is more easily oxidizable than a reductant in an irreversible oxidation reaction of the anodic organic electrochromic compound.