CONDUCTIVE POLYHETEROCYCLES AS ELECTRODE MATERIALS IN SOLID-STATE ELECTROCHROMIC DEVICES

By combining an electronically conductive polymer, a solid state polymer electrolyte and a metal oxide (vanadium oxide), a solid state electrochemical cell was constructed. The optical absorption of the cell could easily be changed by changing the applied cell potential. The polymeric materials used have the advantage of very easy fabrication of thin films: spin-coating or solution-casting for poly(3-octylthiophene) and template polymerization for polypyrrole. Owing to the difference in coulombic capacity and coloration efficiency between the metal oxide and the conjugated polymer, the optical changes of the cell are mainly due to optical changes of the polymer. Thus, this technique can also be used for studying the doping process of the polymer and the stability of the states induced by doping.