A see-through electrochromic display via dynamic metal-ligand interactions

Summary Inspired by the dynamic coordination and dissociation between metal ions and ligands involved in biochemical reactions, we proposed and explored in detail a new electrochromic (EC) mechanism, based on the color conversion of dyes induced by electrical adjustable metal-ligand interactions. Different from the traditional EC materials, whose color-changing motifs and redox motifs are located at the same site, this new material is an indirect-redox-color-changing system composed by switchable dyes and multivalent metal ion. These EC devices combine the advantages of electrochemical stability of metal ions and the color adjustability of readily available dyes with high molar absorption coefficient, high transmittance change (74%), broad color tunability, and good coloration efficiency (506.67 cm2/C). A prototype of see-through EC reader with high white light contrast ratio (8.5:1) has been achieved based on dynamic metal-ligand interactions. More importantly, the new application of dynamic metal-ligand interactions might induce more pleasant surprise in other areas.