Electrochromic, electrochromism preparation

Organic Molecules It can be seen from our earlier discussion that the presence of a transition metal ion is not always required for an electrochromic effect. Indeed, many organic molecules can yield colored products as a result of reversible reduction or oxidation. 4,4 -Bipyridinium salts are the best known example of such compounds. These compounds can be prepared, stored, and purchased in colorless dicationic form (bipm +). One electron reduction of the dication leads to the intensely colored radical cation (bipm+ ). Such radical cations exist in equilibrium with their dimers (bipm ). In the case of methyl viologen, the radical cation is blue and the dimer is red. By varying the substient group in the molecule, different colors can be obtained. 

Metallopolymer films have also been prepared by oxidative polymerization of complexes of the type [M(phen)2(4,4 -bipy)2]2+ (M = Fe, Ru, or Os phen= 1,10-phenanthroline, 4,4 -bipy = 4,4 -bipyridine).23 Such films are both oxidatively and reductively electrochromic reversible film-based reduction at potentials below —IV lead to dark purple films,23 the color and potential region being consistent with the viologen dication/radical cation electrochromic response. A purple state at high negative potentials has also been observed for polymeric films prepared from [Ru(L13)3]2+.24 Electropolymerized films prepared from the complexes [Ru(L16)-(bipy)2][PF6]22 and [Ru(L17)3][PF6]226,27 exhibit reversible orange/transparent electrochromic behavior associated with the Run/Ruin interconversion. 

The structures and redox properties of these complexes have been extensively reviewed 170,171 of interest here is the presence of an intense NIR transition in the neutral and mono-anionic forms, but not the dianionic forms, i.e., the complexes are polyelectrochromic. The positions of the NIR absorptions are highly sensitive to the substituents on the dithiolene ligands. A large number of substituted dithiolene ligands has been prepared and used to prepare complexes of Ni, Pd, and Pt which show comparable electrochromic properties with absorption maxima at wavelengths up to ca. 1,400 nm and extinction coefficients up to ca. 40,000 dm3 mol-1 cm-1 (see refs. 170,171 for an extensive listing). 

Stabilized Carbocations as Redox Active Chromophores Preparation of Electrochromic Materials Using Stabilized Carbocations... 

Sonochemical methods have been used by the Cordoba de Torresi group to prepare Ni(OH)2, Co(OH)2 and mixed Ni/Co hydroxide NPs [33, 34]. For the sonochemical synthesis, the appropriate metal nitrate was mixed with ammonium hydroxide solutions and then sonochemically irradiated for various times. This produced about 5-nm diameter metal-hydroxide NPs that were then immobilized at ITO surfaces using a LbL approach with poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH). In one study, the electrochromic behavior of the LbL deposits was compared with that of bulk deposits... 

For choosing the right way of preparation of PCM modified electrodes, the decisive question is the intention of preparation. There are two principally different goals (1) The electrodes ought to be applied for electrocatalysis, for electrochromic devices and the like, and (2) modified electrodes are prepared to study the electrochemistry of the compounds. For the first goal, there are two principally different approaches (a) the preparation of films on electrode surfaces, and (b) the incorporation of the PCM into a matrix, for example, a mixture of graphite and a binder, leading to composite electrodes. 

The preparation of film electrodes Prussian blue films are usually prepared by cycling an electrode in a freshly prepared solution containing iron(III) and hexacyanoferrate(III) ions [70-72]. As substrate, mostly platinum is used, sometimes glassy carbon [73] is used, and very frequently ITO electrodes [74] are used because the latter are very useful for electrochromism studies. Similar procedures using solutions containing metal ions and hexacyanoferrate(III) have been used to deposit cobalt hexacyanoferrate [75] and chromium hexacyanoferrate [76, 77]. Crumbliss et al. reported a plasma deposition of iron species from a plasma containing iron pentacarbonyl and ethane, followed by electrochemical derivatization of the deposited iron sites with the help of hexacyanoferrate solutions [78]. 

Dicationic systems in which two diarylmethyl cations are linked by an 1,2-diphenylethyl,414 biphenyl,415 binaphthyl,415 or naphthalene-1,8-diyl416 417 backbone have attracted great interest recently because of their unique electrochromic properties. The dications 200 were prepared from the corresponding diols416,417 [Eq. (3.50)]... 

In the most important series of polymers of this type, the metallotetraphenylporphyrins, a metalloporphyrin ring bears four substituted phenylene groups X, as is shown in 7.19. The metals M in the structure are typically iron, cobalt, or nickel cations, and the substituents on the phenylene groups include -NH2, -NR2, and -OH. These polymers are generally insoluble. Some have been prepared by electro-oxidative polymerizations in the form of electroactive films on electrode surfaces.79 The cobalt-metallated polymer is of particular interest since it is an electrocatalyst for the reduction of dioxygen. Films of poly(trisbipyridine)-metal complexes also have interesting electrochemical properties, in particular electrochromism and electrical conductivity.78 The closely related polymer, poly(2-vinylpyridine), also forms metal complexes, for example with copper(II) chloride.80... 

---