Enhanced electrochromic properties of hybrid P3HT/WO3 composites with multiple colorations

We investigated the enhanced electrochemical and electrochromic properties of P3HT (poly 3-hexylthiophene)/WO₃ composites. Nanoporous WO₃ layers were prepared using electrochemical anodization. P3HT was spin coated on these layers to obtain hybrid P3HT/WO₃ composites. After annealing at 300 °C for 1 h, the monoclinic phase of the WO₃ layer and self-organized lamella structure of P3HT were examined. The P3HT/WO₃ composites exhibited enhanced current densities and three different reflective colors with a combination of pristine P3HT and WO₃ during the redox reaction. Furthermore, the composites exhibited faster switching speeds compared with WO₃ layers, which might be attributed to the easy Li⁺ insertion/extraction resulting from the incorporation of P3HT.