High transparency electrochromic polymers

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 comprising a formula of
• wherein each of MCL1, MCL2, MCL3, MCL4, MCLx is different and MCL represents a meta-conjugated linker, and Ac represents an aromatic moiety;
• wherein y is an integer no less than 0, n and x are integers greater than 1;
• a, b, c, d, . . . , m, a′, b′, c′, d′, . . . , m′ are ratios of monomers in the electrochromic polymer;
• a sum of a, b, c, d, . . . , m, a′, b′, c′, d′, . . . , m′ equals to 1, and 0<each of a and b<1, and 0≤each of c, d, . . . , m, a′, b′, c′, d′, . . . and m′<1;
• a sum of a′, b′, c′, d′, . . . , m′ is less than or equal to a sum of a, b, c, d, . . . , m;
• each of MCL1, MCL2, MCL3, MCL4, . . . , and MCLx and corresponding meta positions comprise one of the following formulas:
• each of Ac1, Ac2, Ac3, Ac4, . . . , Acy is selected from one of a benzene based unit, or a naphthalene based unit, or a fluorene based unit, or a pyrrole based unit, or a thiophene based unit with a formula of
• wherein X is S, Se, N, C, or O;
• each of the wavy lines represents a position to link an adjacent aromatic structure from a MCL or an Ac;
• wherein when each of c, d, . . . , m, a′, b′, c′, d′, . . . , m′ is equal to 0, for each MCL, at least one of R1-R12 is independently selected from one of C1-C30 alkyl, C2-C30 alkenyl, C2-C30 alkynyl, C2-C30 alkylcarbonyl, C1-C30 alkoxy, C3-C30 alkoxyalkyl, C2-C30 alkoxycarbonyl, C4-C30 alkoxycarbonylalkyl, C1-C30 alkylthio, C1-C30 aminylcarbonyl, C4-C30 aminylalkyl, C1-C30 alkylaminyl, C1-C30 alkylsulfonyl, C3-C30 alkylsulfonylalkyl, C6-C18 aryl, C3-C15 cycloalkyl, C3-C30 cycloalkylaminyl, C5-C30 cycloalkylalkylaminyl, C5-C30 cycloalkylalkyl, C5-C30 cycloalkylalkyloxy, C1-C12 heterocyclyl, C1-C12 heterocyclyloxy, C1-C30 heterocyclylalkyloxy, C1-C30 heterocyclylaminyl, C5-C30 heterocyclylalkylaminyl, C2-C12 heterocyclylcarbonyl, C3-C30 heterocyclylalkyl, C1-C13 heteroaryl, C3-C30 heteroarylalkyl, C2-C30 polyethylene glycol, or C3-C30 polyethylene glycol ether;
• wherein when 0<at least one of c, d, . . . , m, a′, b′, c′, d′, . . . and m′<1, for at least one Ac at least one of R21-R36 and for at least one MCL at least one of R1-R12 are selected from one of C1-C30 alkyl, C2-C30 alkenyl, C2-C30 alkynyl, C2-C30 alkylcarbonyl, C1-C30 alkoxy, C3-C30 alkoxyalkyl, C2-C30 alkoxycarbonyl, C4-C30 alkoxycarbonylalkyl, C1-C30 alkylthio, C1-C30 aminylcarbonyl, C4-C30 aminylalkyl, C1-C30 alkylaminyl, C1-C30 alkylsulfonyl, C3-C30 alkylsulfonylalkyl, C6-C18 aryl, C3-C15 cycloalkyl, C3-C30 cycloalkylaminyl, C5-C30 cycloalkylalkylaminyl, C5-C30 cycloalkylalkyl, C5-C30 cycloalkylalkyloxy, C1-C12 heterocyclyl, C1-C12 heterocyclyloxy, C1-C30 heterocyclylalkyloxy, C1-C30 heterocyclylaminyl, C5-C30 heterocyclylalkylaminyl, C2-C12 heterocyclylcarbonyl, C3-C30 heterocyclylalkyl, C1-C13 heteroaryl, C3-C30 heteroarylalkyl, C2-C30 polyethylene glycol, or C3-C30 polyethylene glycol ether;
• each of the rest of R21-R36 and each of the rest of R1-R12 are independently selected from one of hydrogen, C1-C30 alkyl, C2-C30 alkenyl, C2-C30 alkynyl, C2-C30 alkylcarbonyl, C1-C30 alkoxy, C3-C30 alkoxyalkyl, C2-C30 alkoxycarbonyl, C4-C30 alkoxycarbonylalkyl, C1-C30 alkylthio, C1-C30 aminylcarbonyl, C4-C30 aminylalkyl, C1-C30 alkylaminyl, C1-C30 alkylsulfonyl, C3-C30 alkylsulfonylalkyl, C6-C18 aryl, C3-C15 cycloalkyl, C3-C30 cycloalkylaminyl, C5-C30 cycloalkylalkylaminyl, C5-C30 cycloalkylalkyl, C5-C30 cycloalkylalkyloxy, C1-C12 heterocyclyl, C1-C12 heterocyclyloxy, C1-C30 heterocyclylalkyloxy, C1-C30 heterocyclylaminyl, C5-C30 heterocyclylalkylaminyl, C2-C12 heterocyclylcarbonyl, C3-C30 heterocyclylalkyl, C1-C13 heteroaryl, C3-C30 heteroarylalkyl, C2-C30 polyethylene glycol, or C3-C30 polyethylene glycol ether;
• and
• wherein the electrochromic polymer has an absorption onset equal to or smaller than 420 nm in a neutral state and has absorption in visible and/or near-infrared wavelengths in an oxidized state;
• 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 the electrochromic layer has transmittance of 70%-99.9% at a wavelength of 416 nm at a neutral state of the electrochromic layer.