Characterization of Electrochromic WO3-Layers Prepared by Sol-Gel Nanotechnology

Stable tungsten oxide coating sols suitable for electrochromic applications were prepared by a modified peroxotungstic acid route. Layers up to 250 nm thickness could be deposited on ITO-coated and/or FTO-coated glass substrates in a single dip-coating process. Optoelectrochemical measurements were employed to determine the variation of the electrochromic properties (change in optical density (ΔOD) and switching times) of WO3-layers, investigated as a function of coating parameters, such as chamber humidity and the temperature of heat treatment. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) has shown that the optimized layers possess a partially crystalline morphology with nanocrystalline regions 2–3 nm in size.