Supramolecular ionogels enable highly efficient electrochromism

Ionogels are a promising solution to improve the functionality of electrochromic devices (ECDs) by solving issues related to traditional liquid electrolytes, such as volatility, toxicity, and leakage. However, manufacturing ionogels is complicated as it often involves cross-linking polymerization or chemical sol-gel processes, requiring large amounts of inorganic or polymeric gelators. This results in low ionic conductivity and poor ECD performance. This study demonstrates the fabrication of highly conductive supramolecular ionogels by directly solidifying an ionic liquid (IL) using a low-molecular-weight gelator with a very low content (5 wt%). The resulting ionogel, DBS-G, exhibited self-healing properties, high optical transmittance (>86%), and high ionic conductivity (3.12 mS cm