IMB-CNM Thesis Defense: Design, Characterization and Fabrication of Electrochromic Flexible Materials for the Development of Smart Devices
PhD Thesis Defense of Sara Santiago Malagón
Directors:
- Xavier Muñoz Berbel (IMB-CNM)
- Gonzalo Guirado López (UAB)
Committee:
- President: Carlos Enrique Alemán Llans
- Secretary: Maria José Esplandiu Egido
- Vocal: Neus Vilà Cuscó
Abstract
The advancement in the technological world has boosted the innovation of applications with smart functionalities. The inception of materials whose characteristics may be reversibly changed by an external input has therefore become a research hotspot in recent years. Particularly, electrochromic materials have the ability of changing their color in response to an electric voltage. The control of light transmittance or absorption of materials can contribute significantly to applications like electrochromic displays, smart windows, antiglare rear-view mirrors, and more recently, in colorimetric biosensors. The current PhD thesis describes the electrochomic response of molecules that show “true electrochromism”, such as poly(3,4-(propylenedioxy)thiophene and Prussian Blue, as well as “electrochromism with memory”, such as spiropyran and diarylethene molecular switches. Finally, this thesis shows, as a proof of concept, the design and fabrication of more ecofriendly electrochromic displays and sensors.