title: Graphene as an efficient interfacial layer for electrochromic devices.
abstract: This study presents an interfacial modification strategy to improve the performance of electrochromic films that were fabricated by a magnetron sputtering technique. High-quality graphene sheets, synthesized by chemical vapor deposition, were used to modify fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates, followed by the deposition of high-performance nanocomposite nickel oxide electrochromic films. Electrochromic cycling results revealed that a near-complete monolayer graphene interfacial layer improves the electrochromic performance in terms of switching kinetics, activation period, coloration efficiency, and bleached-state transparency, while maintaining ∼100% charge reversibility. The present study offers an alternative route for improving the interfacial properties between electrochromic and transparent conducting oxide films without relying on conventional methods such as nanostructuring or thin film composition control.
authors.affiliation: †National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: †National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States.
authors.forename: Justin B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Bult
authors.affiliation: †National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States.
authors.forename: Sanjini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nanayakkara
authors.affiliation: †National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States.
authors.forename: Anne C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.forename: Ryan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.affiliation: †National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States.
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Blackburn
authors.affiliation: †National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States.
authors.forename: Chaiwat
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Engtrakul
keywords: electrochromic; graphene; interface; lithium intercalation; nickel oxide