A fully electrospray-processible electrochromic supercapacitor for smart window applications


Akgun M., KOYUNCU S.

Chemical Engineering Journal, cilt.529, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 529
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.cej.2026.172932
  • Dergi Adı: Chemical Engineering Journal
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, INSPEC
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: 4,4′-bis(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-1,1′-biphenyl (CBP), Electrochromic supercapacitor, Electrospray deposition, PEDOT:PSS, Smart windows
  • Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Electrochromic (EC) technology has undergone significant advancements, enabling its integration into next-generation optoelectronic and energy storage systems. In a typical electrochromic device (ECD), the choice of active organic materials and polymer electrolytes plays a critical role in determining device performance. Herein, we report a fully electrospray-processable electrochromic supercapacitor that combines a carbazole-based material (4,4′-bis(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-1,1′-biphenyl-CBP) as the anodic layer with PEDOT:PSS as the cathodic counterpart. Electrospray deposition was employed to fabricate uniform, nanostructured thin films of CBP and PEDOT:PSS with enhanced porosity, thereby improving electrolyte accessibility and interfacial contact. Morphological features were systematically evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), while crystalline-to-amorphous transitions induced by electrospray deposition were confirmed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. The resulting electrochromic supercapacitor devices exhibited pronounced optical modulation, with a transmittance contrast of up to 50%, reversible switching behavior with coloration and bleaching times as low as 1.9 s and 2.4 s, and excellent electrochemical durability, retaining over 95% of the initial capacitance after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles. In addition, high areal capacitance values were achieved, highlighting the efficient charge storage capability of the electrospray-processed architecture. These results demonstrate that electrospray processing provides a scalable and versatile route for fabricating multifunctional organic electrochromic supercapacitors, paving the way for their implementation in energy-efficient smart window applications.