New plastic electrochromic devices

The NANOEFFECT “Nanocomposites with High Colouration Efficiency for Electrochromic Smart Plastic Devices” project, led by the Fraunhofer-Institut Silicatforschung (ISC), is designing new electrochromic devices that are totally plastic and flexible, capable of changing colour on the simple application of an electric current. The main result of the project will be a new nanohybrid material with great electrochromic efficiency, to be integrated into plastic electrochromic devices with excellent characteristics in terms of cost, durability and range of colours. The end applications of these new electrochromic devices will be electrochromic spectacles as well as various applications in the textile and automotive sectors.

The project consortium includes companies from various sectors that will use its results such as ESSILOR, SOLVIONIC, FECSA, VUOS and MASER, the last being a Basque Country-based enterprise. Amongst the technology bodies figure CIDETEC-IK4, ISC (Germany), INSTM (Italy), ICMCB (France), IREQ (Canada) and UM (Portugal). The role of CIDETEC-IK4 in the project is the synthesis of new nanostructured electroactive polymers and the preparation of totally plastic electrochromic devices based on these nanomaterials.