Do Yeon Kim  Raksha Pal  Jae Won Choi  Jong S. Park

Vol. 60,  No. 4, pp. 217-233, Aug.  2023
10.12772/TSE.2023.60.217

organic electrochromic material electrochromic device Flexible device textile device

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lectrochromism is a phenomenon in which the color of a material changes when an external voltage is applied. Since the first advent of an electrochromic device (ECD) in 1969, electrochromic technology has rapidly progressed, demonstrating potential applications in various promising fields, such as smart windows, public displays, and e-textiles. Intensive research efforts have been conducted on developing efficient and stable organic electrochromic materials (ECMs), and a wide range of organic ECMs that exhibit durable and reversible color changes have been proposed. Recently, the application of electrochromism has been expanded to the visible light range and the near-infrared range in the electromagnetic spectrum. In line with the request, the necessity of organic ECMs has been ever-increasing. Additionally, various attempts have been made to optimize the ECD structure and improve the device’s performance. The substrates used for manufacturing these devices are also expanding. In addition to conventional rigid glass, flexible film substrates have been adopted, and more recently, textile substrates like fabric and fiber have also been applied. This paper provides a comprehensive explanation of organic ECMs, covering working principles, performance developments, and remaining challenges. Various organic ECMs are introduced and compared, highlighting their essential characteristics and providing a concise overview of their pros and cons. Finally, the remaining challenges are shortly discussed to provide insights for developing high-performance organic ECMs and resulting ECDs for applications in flexible and textile devices.