A Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxypyrrole)–Au@WO3-Based Electrochromic Pseudocapacitor

Reddy, B N and P, Naresh Kumar and Melepurath, D (2015) A Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxypyrrole)–Au@WO3-Based Electrochromic Pseudocapacitor. ChemPhysChem, 16 (2). pp. 377-389. ISSN 1439-4235 (In Press)

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Abstract

A poly(3,4-ethylenedioxypyrrole)–gold nanoparticle (Au)–tungsten oxide (PEDOP–Au@WO3) electrochromic supercapacitor electrode capable of optically modulating solar energy while simultaneously storing/releasing energy (in the form of charge) was fabricated for the first time. WO3 fibers, 50 to 200 nm long and 20 to 60 nm wide, were synthesized by a hydrothermal route and were electrophoretically deposited on a conducting substrate. Au nanoparticles and PEDOP were coated over WO3 to yield the PEDOP–Au@WO3 hybrid electrode. The inclusion of Au in the hybrid was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analyses. The nanoscale electronic conductivity, coloration efficiency, and transmission contrast of the hybrid were found to be significantly greater than those of pristine WO3 and PEDOP. The hybrid showed a high specific discharge capacitance of 130 F g−1 during coloration, which was four and ten times greater than the capacitance achieved in WO3 or PEDOP, respectively. We also demonstrate the ability of the PEDOP–Au@WO3 hybrid, relative to pristine PEDOP, to perform as a superior counter electrode in a solar cell, which is attributed to a higher work function. The capacitance and redox switching capability of the hybrid decreases insignificantly with cycling, thus establishing the viability of this multifunction hybrid for next-generation sustainable devices such as electrochromic psuedocapacitors because it can concurrently conserve and store energy.

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