UC Irvine

In this paper, a novel Ti-doped hierarchically mesoporous silica microspheres/tungsten oxide (THMS/WO3) hybrid film was prepared by simultaneous electrodeposition of Ti-doped hierarchically mesoporous silica microspheres (THMSs) and WO3 nanocrystallines onto the fluoride doped tin dioxide (FTO) coated glass substrate. It is demonstrated that the incorporation of THMSs resulted in the hybrid film with improved electrochromic property. Besides, the content of THMSs plays an important role on the electrochromic property of the hybrid film. An excellent electrochromic THMS/WO3 hybrid film with good optical modulation (52.00% at 700 nm), high coloration efficiency (88.84 cm2 C-1 at 700 nm), and superior cycling stability can be prepared by keeping the weight ratio of Na2WO4·2H2O (precursor of WO3):THMSs at 15:1. The outstanding electrochromic performances of the THMS/WO3 hybrid film were mainly attributed to the porous structure, which facilitates the charge-transfer, promotes the electrolyte infiltration and alleviates the expansion of the film during Li+ insertion. This kind of porous THMS/WO3 hybrid film is promising for a wide range of applications in smart homes, green buildings, airplanes, and automobiles.