Integration of printed supercapacitor modules and irreversible electrochromic displays

Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that supercapacitors are outstanding energy storage devices with remarkable electrochemical properties, including rapid charge/discharge rates, high specific power density, large specific capacitances, and a long-life expectancy. Supercapacitor applications have been developed by incorporating smart features such as electrochromism. In recent years, electrochromic devices have become widely utilized in energy-saving applications due to the coloration of electrodes. Within the project CHARISMA, a smart temperature tracker label is being developed, which includes an irreversible electrochromic indicator powered by a printed supercapacitor module. In this study, printed supercapacitors are used to activate electrochromic displays fabricated using four different monomers (EDOT, Bi-EDOT, Bi-Thiophene, Ter-Thiophene) of varying concentrations. In order to activate electrochromic displays, supercapacitor energy modules with two or three supercapacitors connected in series are used. A variety of optical characteristics such as absorbency, transmittance, charge and optical density, coloration efficiency etc. and electrical characteristics are measured during the activation, as well as the response of the different materials to two- and three-cell supercapacitor modules. Other power sources, such as batteries and potentiostat, are also used to carry out the measurements in order to compare the results and evaluate the performance of the printed supercapacitors. The results of these investigations suggest that printed supercapacitors can provide comparable and even better activation results for electrochromic displays than other sources, and that they may be a viable alternative to other energy sources in this application.