This Americas Program award will fund a three-year cooperative research project between Drs Krishnan Rajeshwar and Norma de Tacconi, University of Texas, Arlington (UTA), and Dr. R. O. Lenza, and a group of researchers from the Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquimicas Teoricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina, to develop and characterize new families of electrochromic (EC) and photoelectrochromic (PEC) thin films. These are thin films that change their optical absorbance or reflectance in response to an electrical or electrochemical impulse. Particular attention will be paid to the optimization of experimental variables to bring about good reversibility, fast time response and long-term stability to these new generation devices. The mechanistics aspects associated with the color changes will be monitored in situ by electronic and vibrational spectroscopies as well as by conventional electrochemical and photoelectrochemical techniques. The coatings have many potential applications including smart windows, displays, and mirrors.
The research profits from the complementary expertise of the collaborators, as well as by the facilities at both institutions. The electrochemical-photoelectrochemical quartz crystal microgavimetry methods will be done at UTA, while the spectroscopic methods will take place at INIFTA.
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