Organic Electrochromic Material Changes Colors Rapidly, Reversibly

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität researchers developed an electrochromic thin-film material that, by changing colors rapidly, is poised to feature in the design of smart windows, solar energy production/acquisition, and automotive applications. The material, which relies on electricity to change colors, is part of a generation of highly ordered lattice structures, known as covalent organic frameworks (COFs). These are made up of synthetically conceived organic building blocks that, under the right conditions, form crystalline and nanoporous networks. An applied electrical voltage that causes an oxidation, or reduction of the material, is sufficient to generate a color change. The team was able to develop COF structures with...