# US 12,372,842 B2 · High transparency electrochromic polymers

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,372,842 B2
- Document ID: US12372842B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/892,033
- Filed: 2024-09-20
- Published: 2025-02-13
- Granted: 2025-07-29
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-09
- Assignees: Ambilight Inc.
- Applicants: Ambilight Inc
- Inventors: Jianguo Mei; Zhiyang Wang; Vaidehi Pandit; Liyan You
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12372842B2

## CPC

- C08G 61/12: Macromolecular compounds containing atoms other than carbon in the main chain of the macromolecule
- G02F 1/15165: {Polymers}
- C08G 61/124: {with a five-membered ring containing one nitrogen atom in the ring}
- C08G 61/126: {with a five-membered ring containing one sulfur atom in the ring}
- C08L 65/00: Compositions of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a carbon-to-carbon link in the main chain (C08L7/00 - C08L57/00, C08L61/00 take precedence); Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
- C09D 165/00: Coating compositions based on macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a carbon-to-carbon link in the main chain (C09D107/00 - C09D157/00, C09D161/00 take precedence); Coating compositions based on derivatives of such polymers
- C09K 9/02: Organic tenebrescent materials
- G02F 1/155: Electrodes
- C08G 2261/12: Copolymers
- C08G 2261/122: statistical
- C08G 2261/1412: Saturated aliphatic units
- C08G 2261/1424: containing ether groups, including alkoxy
- C08G 2261/148: Side-chains having aromatic units
- C08G 2261/312: Non-condensed aromatic systems, e.g. benzene
- C08G 2261/314: Condensed aromatic systems, e.g. perylene, anthracene or pyrene
- C08G 2261/3223: containing one or more sulfur atoms as the only heteroatom, e.g. thiophene
- C08G 2261/3241: containing one or more nitrogen atoms as the only heteroatom, e.g. carbazole
- C08G 2261/411: Suzuki reactions
- C08G 2261/412: Yamamoto reactions
- C08G 2261/794: with polymeric dopants
- C09K 2211/1416: Condensed systems
- C09K 2211/1425: Non-condensed systems
- C09K 2211/1458: containing sulfur as the only heteroatom
- C09K 2211/1475: containing nitrogen and oxygen as heteroatoms
- C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- C09D: COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES OR LACQUERS; FILLING PASTES; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; INKS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; WOODSTAINS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR (cosmetics A61K; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general, B05D; staining wood B27K5/02; glazes or vitreous enamels C03C; natural resins, French polish, drying-oils, driers, turpentine, per se, C09F; polishing compositions other than French polish, ski waxes C09G; adhesives or use of materials as adhesives C09J; materials for sealing or packing joints or covers C09K3/10; materials for stopping leaks C09K3/12; processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings C25D)
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE

## Abstract

An electrochromic device includes a first insulating substrate; a first conducting layer disposed over the first insulating substrate; an electrochromic layer disposed over the first conducting layer, an electrolyte layer disposed over the electrochromic layer; a second conducting layer disposed over the electrolyte layer; and a second insulating substrate disposed over the second conducting layer. The electrochromic layer includes an electrochromic polymer having a polymer backbone comprising one or more meta-conjugated linkers (MCLs) and one or more aromatic moieties (Ars). Each of the one or more MCLs is partially conjugated with one of the one or more Ars at a meta position of the one or more MCLs. The thickness of the electrochromic layer is from 10 nm to 5800 nm resulting in transmittance of 70%-99.9% at a wavelength of 550 nm at a neutral state of the electrochromic layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrochromic device, comprising:
a first insulating substrate;
a first conducting layer disposed over the first insulating substrate;
an electrochromic layer disposed over the first conducting layer, wherein the electrochromic layer comprises an electrochromic polymer having a polymer backbone comprising one or more meta-conjugated linkers (MCLs) and one or more aromatic moieties (Ars), wherein each of the one or more MCLs is partially conjugated with one of the one or more Ars at a meta position of the one or more MCLs;
an electrolyte layer disposed over the electrochromic layer;
a second conducting layer disposed over the electrolyte layer; and
a second insulating substrate disposed over the second conducting layer;
wherein a thickness of the electrochromic layer is from 10 nm to 5800 nm resulting in transmittance of 70%-99.9% at a wavelength of 550 nm at a neutral state of the electrochromic layer;
wherein the electrochromic device has transmittance of 50% or more at a wavelength of 550 nm at a bleached state of the device; and
wherein the electrochromic polymer is colorless in the neutral state of the electrochromic layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic layer has transmittance of 95.1%-0.1% at a wavelength of 550 nm at an oxidized state of the electrochromic layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electrochromic device of claim 1, further comprising an ion storage layer, wherein the ion storage layer is disposed between the electrolyte layer and the second conducting layer and has transmittance of 80% or more at a wavelength of 550 nm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The electrochromic device of claim 3, wherein the ion storage layer comprises one or more oxides of metal elements in Group 4-12, or a mixture of the oxides, or one of the oxides doped by a different metal oxide, or a transition-metal complex, or one or more of redox-active polymers including redox active nitroxyl, galvinoxyl radical polymers and conjugated polymers.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The electrochromic device of claim 3, wherein the ion storage layer comprises indium tin oxide (ITO) particles, wherein the ion storage layer has transmittance of 90% or more at a wavelength of 550 nm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer comprises ITO, aluminum zinc oxide (AZO), fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO), silver nanowires, graphene, carbon nanotube, metal mesh based transparent conductive electrodes, or silver-nanoparticle ink or an organic conductive polymer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic layer has an optical contrast of 50% or more.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein a color of the electrochromic layer at an oxidized state is varied by varying a conjugation length of the one or more MCLs and the one or more Ars.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic layer comprises a blend of electrochromic polymers without an intermediate color.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more MCLs comprises at least one of benzene, or naphthalene, or fused benzene structure, or heterocycle, or fused cyclic structure, or benzene fused cyclic structure, or a first benzene fused with a cyclic structure which is fused with a second benzene.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more MCLs and corresponding meta positions comprise one of the following formulas:
wherein X is S, Se, N, C, or O; each of R1-R12 is independently selected from one of hydrogen, C1-C30alkyl, C2-C30alkenyl, C2-C30alkynyl, C2-C30alkylcarbonyl, C1-C30alkoxy, C3-C30alkoxyalkyl, C2-C30alkoxycarbonyl, C4-C30alkoxycarbonylalkyl, C1-C30alkylthio, C1-C30 aminylcarbonyl, C4-C30aminylalkyl, C1-C30alkylaminyl, C1-C30alkylsulfonyl, C3-C30alkylsulfonylalkyl, C6-C18aryl, C3-C15cycloalkyl, C3-C30cycloalkylaminyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkylaminyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkyloxy, C1-C12heterocyclyl, C1-C12heterocyclyloxy, C1-C30heterocyclylalkyloxy, C1-C30heterocyclylaminyl, C5-C30heterocyclylalkylaminyl, C2-C12heterocyclylcarbonyl, C3-C30heterocyclylalkyl, C1-C13heteroaryl, or C3-C30heteroarylalkyl; and each of the wavy lines represents one of the meta positions.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more Ars comprises one of a benzene based unit, or a naphthalene based unit, or a fluorene based unit, or a thiophene-based unit, a furan-based unit, a selenophene-based unit, or a pyrrole-based unit with one of the following formulas:
wherein R13-R15 and R21-R36 are substitutes; at least one of the substitutes in each formula is independently selected from one of C1-C30alkyl, C2-C30alkenyl, C2-C30alkynyl, C2-C30alkylcarbonyl, C1-C30alkoxy, C3-C30alkoxyalkyl, C2-C30alkoxycarbonyl, C4-C30alkoxycarbonylalkyl, C1-C30alkylthio, C1-C30aminylcarbonyl, C4-C30aminylalkyl, C1-C30alkylaminyl, C1-C30alkylsulfonyl, C3-C30alkylsulfonylalkyl, C6-C18aryl, C3-C15cycloalkyl, C3-C30cycloalkylaminyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkylaminyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkyloxy, C1-C12heterocyclyl, C1-C12heterocyclyloxy, C1-C30 heterocyclylalkyloxy, C1-C30heterocyclylaminyl, C5-C30heterocyclylalkylaminyl, C2-C12heterocyclylcarbonyl, C3-C30heterocyclylalkyl, C1-C13heteroaryl, C3-C30heteroarylalkyl, C2-C30 polyethylene glycol, or C3-C30 polyethylene glycol ether; each of the rest of the substitutes in each formula is independently selected from one of hydrogen, C1-C30alkyl, C2-C30alkenyl, C2-C30alkynyl, C2-C30alkylcarbonyl, C1-C30alkoxy, C3-C30alkoxyalkyl, C2-C30alkoxycarbonyl, C4-C30alkoxycarbonylalkyl, C1-C30alkylthio, C1-C30aminylcarbonyl, C4-C30aminylalkyl, C1-C30alkylaminyl, C1-C30alkylsulfonyl, C3-C30alkylsulfonylalkyl, C6-C18aryl, C3-C15cycloalkyl, C3-C30cycloalkylaminyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkylaminyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkyloxy, C1-C12heterocyclyl, C1-C12heterocyclyloxy, C1-C30 heterocyclylalkyloxy, C1-C30heterocyclylaminyl, C5-C30heterocyclylalkylaminyl, C2-C12heterocyclylcarbonyl, C3-C30 heterocyclylalkyl, C1-C13heteroaryl, C3-C30heteroarylalkyl, C2-C30 polyethylene glycol, or C3-C30 polyethylene glycol ether; wherein each of the wavy lines represents a position to link an adjacent MCL.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The electrochromic device of claim 12, wherein the thiophene-based unit comprises one of the following formulas:
wherein X is S, Se, N, C, or O; each of R15-R18 is independently selected from one of hydrogen, C1-C30alkyl, C2-C30alkenyl, C2-C30alkynyl, C2-C30alkylcarbonyl, C1-C30alkoxy, C3-C30alkoxyalkyl, C2-C30alkoxycarbonyl, C4-C30alkoxycarbonylalkyl, C1-C30 alkylthio, C1-C30 aminylcarbonyl, C4-C30aminylalkyl, C1-C30alkylaminyl, C1-C30alkylsulfonyl, C3-C30alkylsulfonylalkyl, C6-C18aryl, C3-C15cycloalkyl, C3-C30cycloalkylaminyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkylaminyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkyl, C5-C30cycloalkylalkyloxy, C1-C12heterocyclyl, C1-C12heterocyclyloxy, C1-C30heterocyclylalkyloxy, C1-C30heterocyclylaminyl, C5-C30heterocyclylalkylaminyl, C2-C12heterocyclylcarbonyl, C3-C30heterocyclylalkyl, C1-C13heteroaryl, C3-C30heteroarylalkyl, C2-C30 polyethylene glycol, or C3-C30 polyethylene glycol ether, Y is any one or more of Ars, or aromatic structures, or fused aromatic structures, or a combinations thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The electrochromic device of claim 1, wherein the electrochromic polymer comprises a formula of
wherein n and m are integers greater than 0.