NEMEDES · Novel conducting copolymErs for Multicolor Electrochromic DEviceS (ECDs)

One large sector of electronics industry is that of electrochromic devices (ECDs). Electrochromism is the reversible optical change in a material induced by application of an external voltage. Many inorganic and organic species show electrochromism. Conducting polymers (CPs) are a class of electrochromic materials (ECs) which gain importance rapidly, due to the combination of processability, fast response times, and high optical contrasts and the ability to modify their structure to create multicolor ECDs. The most common applications of ECDs include a variety of displays, smart windows as well as spacecraft thermal control and computer data storage. Smart windows can be used in buildings and automotive applications in order to control the incident daylight and glare according to the occupants’ comfort. They are considered a proper technology for sustainable development and their market is expected to grow in the following decade since their use leads to minimization of the power consumption in buildings and cars.One of the main challenges is to develop novel CPs for multicolored ECDs, capable for large scale production. To date, the multicolor EC polymers reported have several important disadvantages, such as low stability and poor processability. The aim of the proposed project is to produce copolymers with proper absorption spectra through the entire visible region of the electromagnetic spectra, study their electrochromic behaviour and apply them in multicolored ECDs. The main objective is to manufacture ECDs with exceptional operating characteristics and enhanced stability by designing the monomers and the polymerization procedure in order to produce copolymers with defined structures. Since these materials are intended for commercialization, the entire production know how, from monomer synthesis to copolymerization to device manufacture, will be developed in a manner that it can be easily scaled up to industrial scale.