Nanowerk July 19, 2021
An international team of researchers (Australia, China) has developed a plasma-generated, hybrid nanocomposite material which is free of indium. They used high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) technology to deposit the internal WO3 layer and the external Ag/WO3 nanocomposite. High rates of silver ionization in the HiPIMS process and energetic arrival of silver ions on the negatively biased dielectric/metal/dielectric structure enabled their penetration into the external tungsten oxide layer, forming a nanocomposite structure in a single-step process. This nanotechnology-enabled approach allows electrochromic devices to change colour efficiently and rapidly upon a user’s request and offers a low-cost, accessible, and environmentally sound electrochromic technology. The technology can dim the screens of electronic devices, anti-reflection automobile mirrors, and smart architectural windows at a fraction of the cost of current technology…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Graphical abstract. Credit: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Available online 21 July 2021, 111268